


Treasure

by HeliumStar



Series: Vexing [2]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Drama, Multi, Wholesome, fanfiction is great, i love this so much, kind of, kind of writing for myself but i want to share, like i wish, why can't everyone just be one big happy family?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-02-20 15:06:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13149210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeliumStar/pseuds/HeliumStar
Summary: Henry needs to find Jack Sparrow to free his father from the curse that binds him to the Flying Dutchman, and who better to help him than his own cousin and Jack Sparrow's goddaughter? Named after the legendary Captain himself, Jacqueline goes with Henry to find Jack, recover the Trident of Poseidon and break the curses of the ocean.





	1. They Grow

**Author's Note:**

> New story! Or... well, kind of. I just can't let this go just yet and I've discovered a whole new kind of obsession. Dad!Norrington. Like, kill me before I overthink this but I am head over heels in love with it. Also, I do love the latest movie.
> 
> The timeline isn't 100% correct either but this is fanfiction so I can do what I want. I think strangers tide take place like 5 or so years before dmtnt but here it's like 10 years before.  
> Anyway, enough of me babbling. Enjoy!

The ocean looked like a black abyss and the only source of light Henry had was the moon in the sky. He scrambled around in the small rowboat and grabbed the end of the thick rope, tying it around his ankle and secured the knot properly. The rope was attached to a small net filled with heavy rocks and the young boy struggled to lift it and haul it overboard. 

Hesitating on the edge of the boat, looking into the dark depth before he jumped in. The weight around his ankle pulled him down, deeper and deeper into the ocean. Henry looked up, seeing the surface rushing away from him and darkness surrounded him until he couldn't see anything, not even his own hand in front of him. 

Then, he hit a surface and the pressure of the water held him flat against the hard surface unable to move. His lungs burned from the lack of oxygen and just as he was about to give in he crashed through the surface and could draw a deep breath of air. He gasped, coughed and sputtered as he hurried to get back on his feet. He stood on the middle of a ship's deck. The boards under his feet looked rotten and the ship looked like it had laid on the bottom of the sea for decades. 

Henry gathered himself and looked around. "Father?" He called. 

Steps slowly approached. The moon didn't provide much light but a man stepped out of the shadow, eying the yong boy with stern eyes. "Henry," he grumbled, "what have you done?" 

William Turner stepped out into the light, revealing himself to his son. Henry stepped forward. "I said I'd find you," he said.

"Look at me, son," Will said turning his head. His neck and cheek were covered with barnacles, no doubt the Flying Dutchman making its mark on him. 

Frightened, but determined, Henry stood tall. "I don't care," he said

"There's no place for you on the Dutchman," William muttered. Agitated voices came from below deck and Will glanced over his shoulder before turning back to his son. "They know you're here." He pointed at the ocean. "Go home to your mother."

"No!" The young boy shouted. 

"Leave now!" Drawing his sword, Will swiped it down and cut the rope around his son's ankle. "Before it's too late."

"I won't!" Henry frowned. "I'll never stop, and if you throw me over, I'll come straight back."

Will sighed and shook his head. "Don't you see I'm cursed to this ship?" he asked, gesturing around the moonlit deck of the Flying Dutchman. He frowned, he'd been the captain for a decade and there was nothing he wanted more than to go home to his wife and child. 

Henry shook his head. "That's why I'm here. I think I know a way to break your curse. To free you from the Dutchman," he tried to explain.

Will sighed, shaking his head. His heart, secure in the chest back with Elizabeth, broke for his son. It hurt to see and hear him talk like that. "Henry, no," he said silently. 

"I've read about a treasure," Henry insisted. "A treasure that holds all the power of the sea. The Trident of Poseidon can break your curse."

Will stepped close to his son, he was getting frustrated and he could hear his crew rouse. "Henry, the Trident can never be found."

The young boy looked up at him with a hopeless expression. "I found you," he said, arms dangling along his sides. 

"It's just a tale."

"Like the tales of you and Captain Jack Sparrow?" Henry frowned. "He will help me find the Trident."

Will glared at his son. He didn't want his son involved with pirates. And Jack would no doubt draw the boy into a whole new kind of trouble. "You stay away from Jack. Leave the sea forever. You have to stop acting like a-"

"A pirate?" Henry asked and Will stilled himself. "I won't stop," Henry said. "I want you to come home."

"Henry," Will stepped across the deck and pulled his son into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, but my curse can never be broken," he murmured, "This is my fate. You must let me go." Henry frowned, pressing his face against his father's chest. "I love you, son." Will put him down. 

Slowly, the Flying Dutchman started its descent back into the abyss of the sea. Will looked at his son with sad eyes as the young boy struggled to keep himself under the surface but floated as Will and the Dutchman sank.

Henry surfaced and climbed aboard his rowboat again. Soaked and slightly out of breath, he laid at the bottom of the boat for a few moments and stared up at the starry sky. "Captain Jack Sparrow," Henry mumbled, vowing to find the pirate and free his father from the Dutchman's curse.

-

"Pass the end through and wrap it around, like this." Captain Norrington demonstrated the knot to his daughter, she followed along with a rope of her own. "Then bring it back through the loop and tighten it."

"Like this?"

James smiled, running his hand through his daughter's dark hair. "You got it, love." He kissed her on the top of her head. "Try it one more time." While his daughter untied the knot to start over, James looked over at his wife who had taken the helm. He smiled at her and when she caught his eyes she grinned back. "You keep practicing, dear," he told his daughter and got up.

Jacqueline bit her lips as she tied the knot again and her father headed up to the upper deck. He wore a navy blue coat with golden buttons and had a wide black hat over a white wig tied back with a black tie. Victoria, his wife of nearly thirteen years, smiled at him when he came walking. "Captain," she greeted him.

"How are things looking?" James stood next to her and gazed ahead.

Victoria leaned back slightly, eying her husband with a smirk. "It's looking pretty good," she said and giggled when James gently nudged her. "The wind's on our side and the weather's holding up. We should be in the port by sundown."

"Excellent," James murmured, leaning in and kissed his wife. He turned when he heard running up the stairs and two pairs of arms wrapped themselves around his legs.

"Connor. Edmund," Victoria chuckled lovingly. Her sons were near identical but were luckily rather different in the way they acted.

The two boys, both bordering on eight years old, pointed to the horizon. "Look!" They both said.

Connor being the oldest of the two, if only by a few minutes, tugged at his father's coat. In his hand, he had a small spyglass. "Da, there's a ship heading our way!" he said. "It's got a black flag and everything."

James and Victoria exchanged glances. "Pirates?" Victoria suggested.

"It's got a real pirate flag!" Edmund nodded eagerly, gripping James' hand to make him come and look.

"May I?" James held his hand out towards Connor and the boy handed him the spyglass. James brought it to his eye and let out a burst of laughter. "I'll be damned," he said, shaking his head and handing the spyglass to his wife.

Victoria had a look and smiled. "Well, well," she chuckled. "What are the odds?" She gave the spyglass back to her son. "Jackie, come here!" She called and her daughter, now twelve years of age, put away the rope and climbed the stairs to the upper deck. "You remember your godfather?"

Jacqueline furrowed her brows. "You're about to meet him again," James said. 

The three children exchanged glances before they rushed down to the deck to look as the ship approached. Victoria walked to stand behind them. "Oi!" She shouted when the pirate ship was close enough. "Parlay?"

A familiar figure appeared on the bridge. It was Jack Sparrow. Victoria waved and her children did too.

The ships lined up and a boarding bridge was set up. Jack sauntered over to the Voyager with a grin. "Did I hear Parlay?" he asked. Victoria hugged him. "Hello, love."

"Jack," Victoria smiled at him. "It's been too long."

"Looks like you've been busy," Jack glanced at the children behind her. "Popped another two out, did you?"

Victoria smiled. "Jack, this is Connor and Edmund. You've already met Jacqueline... though she was not even a year old when you saw her last." Victoria put her hands on her daughter's shoulder. The young girl looked eerily like her mother and the boys were spitting images of James with long brown hair and the same wide grins.

Jack took his hat off and knelt down before the kids. He eyed the boys and the girl for a moment. "They grow," he said and looked up at Victoria. 

"Like weeds," Victoria nodded as her husband came walking. "Isn't that right, love?"

"You building an army, Captain?" Jack stood back up. 

James laughed. "No, but perhaps a crew," he said and firmly shook Jack's hand. "Good to see you, Sparrow. How have you been faring?"

"Well enough," Jack mumbled. "Got the Pearl Back." He grinned.

James and Victoria Norrington both looked at the ship Jack had come from and noted that it wasn't  the Black Pearl at all. It was the same ship Jack had left Port Royal with, twelve years earlier. "Well," James furrowed his brows. "Where is she?"

Jack held up a finger and stuck his hand into his coat, producing a small bottle from his inner pocket. "Right here," he held the bottle up and sure enough, within it there was a tiny version of his ship.

"She's smaller than I remember," Victoria said. Her sons crowded around the pirate to have a closer look at the ship in the bottle. "Easy now, Connor, Edmund," Victoria warned them. 

The two boys looked at the bottle in astonishment before Jack tucked it back into his coat. "Small mishap, I'm trying to figure things out myself," he explained. "In the meantime, I've got a perfectly functioning vessel," he said and gestured to the ship behind him. "She's a name now, too. The Little Hind."

Victoria smiled. "Jack, that's adorable," she said. 

"Why do you call it that?" Jacqueline piped up. 

Jack turned and looked at her. It was the first time he'd heard her speak, he'd only ever seen her when she was a baby. A warm feeling spread in him. She was his godchild and he loved her like his own. "Because, dearie," he bent down to look her in the eyes. She had her father's eyes. "She prances through the waves like no other ship I've seen."

The young girl smiled. "Can I have a look?" She asked.

"Me too!" Both of the young boys shouted. "I wanna see the ship too!"

Jack pouted. "Well then," he grasped both boys by their shoulders. "You want to see a proper pirate ship? I'll show you one," he said and ushered the children over to his ship.

Victoria gave her husband a pleading look and James, as lovingly as he could, rolled his eyes. "Oh, you go too," he said. "I'll stay."

"Thank you!" Victoria rushed over to her husband and gave him a quick peck on the lips before following Jack and her children over to the Little Hind. She lit up when she recognized Jack's first mate. "Joshamee Gibbs," she grinned at him.

Gibbs smiled. "Young Victoria," he greeted her. 

"I'm afraid 'young' is starting to be questionable," Victoria laughed. She looked around for Jack and the kids but they were nowhere to be seen. "Have you seen my children?"

Gibbs looked around. "Children? How many?"

"Three last I checked," Victoria said. "Ah," she smiled when she spotted Connor, sprint across the deck, "There's one of them, and the other shouldn't be far off." She pointed at Edmund, that climbed up the stairs from below deck. "And then there's Jackie, I'm not certain where she's at..."

Joshamee smiled. "Ah, Jackie. The Captain's told me about her. His namesake. He's as proud as a peacock, you wouldn't believe it!" He laughed. "You'd think he was talking about his own daughter."

Victoria grinned, looking very pleased. "Then I know I made the right choice," she nodded. 

Jacquelin eyed her godfather as he dug through a chest, looking for something. They were in Jack's cabin and he'd asked her to wait while he looked. "What are you looking for?" She asked when Jack tossed various items out of the chest. Clothes, a lonely boot, a broken spyglass, Jacqueline was curious to see what else he could pull out of the chest.

"Not to worry, uncle Jack's got something for you," Jack said. "Does mommy speak about me?"

Jacqueline glanced over her shoulder and then turned back to her godfather. "Yeah, all the time."

Jack grinned and then continued his search. "That's what I like to hear," he grunted and let out a victorious "Aha!" when he found what he'd been looking for. He turned to his godchild with a smile and held his hands out. "This is for you. I've always meant for you to have it one day."

In his hand was a thin silver chain attached to a shiny silver coin. Jacqueline looked at the necklace and then her godfather. He smiled at her and urged her to take it. "Thank you," Jacqueline said as she took the necklace. 

"Found it and thought of you."

"Where did you find it?"

Jack grinned. "Grabbed it from the Santiago, you're too young to know of it, of course," he explained. "I'm sure your father would know about it if you asked him."

Jacqueline's smile widened. "Thank you, Uncle Jack," she repeated and Jack beamed with pride and happiness. The young girl put the necklace around her neck. "Can I look at your compass? Mother says it can show you anything."

"Of course!" Jack pulled his compass from his belt and put it in the girl's hands. "It shows you what you want most in this world," he said. They headed outside to try it and Jacqueline eagerly waited for the needle to come to a stop, but it never did. She looked very disappointed but Jack quickly comforted her. "It's no big deal, you're young and don't know what you want yet."

Jacqueline handed the compass back to Jack and the needle raced around the compass before settling in the direction of Victoria. Jack quickly snapped the compass shut but not before Jacqueline had noticed. 

Victoria smiled when she spotted them. "There you two are," she said and walked up to them. "The boys are this close to joining your crew, Jack, "she chuckled and held her fingers mere inches apart. "I'm afraid if we stay longer I'll leave with a child or two less."

Jack smiled at her. "I understand," he said. "Places to be, am I right?"

"Always." Victoria nodded and turned to her daughter. "Say goodbye to Jack and head back to the ship, darling."

"All right..." Jacqueline nodded and looked at the godfather. "Bye, Uncle Jack," she mumbled. "And thank you, again."

"Anything for you, girlie." Jack smiled at the little girl and she dared to give him a quick hug before rushing back to the Voyager. Jack stared at her as she disappeared out of sight. Then he turned to Victoria with a gentle smile. "Victoria, love," he cooed. "Beautiful as always."

Victoria smiled at him. "Oh, Jack. You've been missed," she said. "I wish you'd visit more."

Jack had wanted to visit her several times but something had kept him away. "Oh, if you see me too much you might get tired of me," he joked. "I prefer surprising you."

"I do like surprises," Victoria admitted. "Take care of yourself, Jack." She gave him another, longer, hug. "We'll meet again, won't we?"

Jack squeezed her, breathing in her scent and letting his arms remember just how wonderful it was to hold her. "We will, love. One day," he nodded. "Be safe out there."

Victoria smiled and pulled away. "Safe is a little dull, don't you think?" She asked. 

"You're right," Jack said but looked uncharacteristically serious. "Look after that family of yours."

"I will," Victoria nodded.

Jack took a deep breath and smiled at the woman again. "Until we meet again."

Victoria flashed him yet another smile and then returned to the Voyager where her husband and children waited for her. Jacqueline stood by her father's side on the upper deck and watched her godfather order his crew to set sail again. Victoria came and stood next to her and waved to the departing ship. 

"Until we meet again," Victoria sighed.

Jacqueline nodded. "Until we meet again."


	2. Tell The Tale

"Show a leg, Edmund! You've slept long enough! Rise and shine! You too, Connor."

The two twins groaned, and Edmund lifted his head from the pillow in his hammock just as his sister disappeared up the stairs to the deck. "Do you think Father would be really angry if we dumped her off the ship?" He asked his brother.

Connor yawned and jumped out of his own hammock. "He'd string you up by your toes and you know it," he muttered. "Besides, I'd like to see you try to take Jackie down. Everyone here knows who'd end up taking a swim."

"Bastard," Edmund cursed, tossing his boot at his brother, who dodged and hurried after Jacqueline with a grin.

Up on deck, Jacqueline was already halfway up to the crow's nest. She shielded her eyes from the sun as she gazed ahead. Port Royal was visible in the distance and it had been almost a month since they'd been home. They'd returned to stay for some time. So that her father could take care of some business and paperwork, and so that the family could celebrate Jacqueline's birthday. Victoria had planned the celebration for weeks and they were all tired of listening to what kinds of deserts they would serve.

Captain Norrington stood on the poop deck with his spyglass to his eye. Port Royal was a welcome sight. He smiled to himself and turned to his wife, who stood by the wheel. "Steady as she goes, darling," James cooed and gave the woman's cheek a kiss. "Connor, Edmund, you're finally up," he said when his two sons ascended from below deck. "You two know what to do, so get to it."

"Yes, sir," the two boys said and rushed off to their stations.

Jaqueline came swinging down from the crow's nest, landing on the poop deck before her father. "Everything looks clear, captain. Weather's fine, the sea's clear and no trouble from what I can tell," she told her father.

"Very good," James said with a nod. His daughter smiled at him and James felt pride grow in his chest.

Jaqueline had become one of the most efficient and skilled sailors he knew, and she'd grown to become a beautiful young woman. She was slim, yet strong from years of work on a ship. Her hair was long, dark and fell in loose curls, and her eyes were green like his own but had a curious spark in them that most people lacked. James had caught several men in the crew making eyes at her. Upsetting as that was, Jacqueline showed little interest in anything besides sailing and James found relief in that.

"You return to your station, young lady," James said and gave the young woman a light nudge in the right direction.

"Aye, captain," Jaqueline said and walked down the stairs to get to work.

Victoria smiled, amused, at her husband. "You've raised a good sailor, James. One of the best I've seen," she said.

James turned to her with a smile. "Taught her everything I can. God knows, she's taught me a thing or two too." He glanced over his shoulder at his children. "We've done well."

"We have, haven't we?" Victoria smiled and then turned her attention to the nearing port. "I've missed home a bit," she said. "It's nice to have a place to call home. And Elizabeth must be so very lonely," she sighed. "Now that Henry's been away she must be dying of boredom."

"She'll be glad to have company then," James said. "I know Jaqueline's missed her, and you of course. You'll cheer her up, no doubt."

Victoria nodded. "Yes, I'm sure she'd love to help plan Jacqueline's party."

"I'm sure she will be." James nodded.

Jacqueline wiped a few beads of sweat from her brow and Connor bumped his hip into hers. "I've heard that one of them navy boys might pop the question soon," he said with a grin. "You ready to settle down and be a housewife?"

The young woman snorted. "Ugh," she groaned. "I'd rather take a trip to Davy Jones' Locket. I think Father would agree," she said.

Her brother laughed and patted her on the back. "Let me guess, your one true love is the sea?"

Jacqueline glared at him. "Yes, it just happens to be that way," she said. "I mean... just look at it." She gave a dreamy sigh and leaned against the railing as she watched the horizon. "It's beautiful. I'd give my life to sail the seas forever." She turned to her brother. "Any news from Henry?"

"He's on the Matriarch, according to da," Connor said. "Hunting pirates, with that bugger Toms."

"Bloody hell, poor Henry." Jacqueline wrinkled her nose. "He should have sailed with us."

"You know he's got a mind of his own. Secrets and smarts," Connor chuckled. "Not like you Jackie. You're much easier to read. I know when you're happy and I certainly know when you're angry."

Edmund came walking with a crate balanced on his shoulder. "I think anyone would know she's angry when she's gripping her sword like a proper demon," he said.

Jacqueline jutted her fist at him. "Careful, you. It's impolite to say rude things to a lady."

"A lady? Where?" Edmund asked, looking around the deck. 

His sister gave his arm a solid punch. "I'd rather share a ship with Henry than you two louts," she muttered. "I can't help but wonder," she sighed and looked back at the horizon, "where and what he's doing now."

-

Trudging through the kneehigh water, the sailors glared at one of the younger men who'd left his spot and peered out through the hull at the ship they were chasing. 

The navy man in command, shouted orders flailing his arms about as he demanded they quickened their pace. "Faster, you pathetic bilge rats!" he shouted. "You'll pump the bilge and fill the scuppers! We're chasing down pirates!"

One of the sailors, manning the wheel of the pump called for the young man who'd abandoned his post. "Henry, get back here," he advised the young Turner. "You don't wanna get kicked off another ship. That uncle of yours can't help you much more."

Henry ignored the sailor, trying to name the ship they chased. "It's a Dutch Barque. Probably stolen by the Pirate Bonnet," he stated. His eyes wandered from the ship to its heading, a tall set of cliffs loomed above it and Henry knew instantly where the pirate ship and, in turn, they were headed. He quickly made his way towards the stairs, that was blocked off by the commanding officer. 

"I warned you of leaving your post, boy," the officer growled but Henry pushed past him and made his way up to the deck.

"I need to speak with the captain," he said as he rushed up the stairs. "Move!"

"Turner!" The officer roared and ran after him, trying to stop him.

On deck, soldiers of the navy rushed around, firing the cannons and following their orders as they were given. Henry rushed across the deck towards the poopdeck where the captain stood with his first mate. 

The captain looked through his spyglass, glaring at the ship they were hunting. "Chase her down," he ordered his crew.

"No, don't do it," Henry protested. "Don't do it!" he repeated when none seemed to listen.

The first mate shook his head. "You will not address the captain, boy," he said.

Henry, who stood on the deck surrounded by soldiers pointed at their heading. "Sir, look at your charts. I believe you're sailing us into the Devil's Triangle."

A wave of laughter went around the deck. The first mate grinned down at the young man and the captain himself came to see what the commotion was about. "You hear this, men?" he asked. "This landsman believes an old sailor's myth."

Impatient, and very worried, Henry spoke up again, "Sir, with all due respect, I've spent my life studying the myths of the sea. I know every legend and every curse, and I know ships that sail into the Triangle do not necessarily sail out."

The officer from below deck stepped up behind Henry. "I'm sorry, sir," he apologized. "This one's clearly disturbed."

"Sir, trust me in what I say. Change your course," Henry begged the captain.

The captain flushed red with anger. "You dare give me orders, boy?" he asked. 

"Arrest him!" The first mate ordered the crew.

Henry made a split decision. he couldn't just stand there and let the crew sail to their and his death. he had to do something, or at least try and stop them. He took off towards the stairs to the poop deck and was grabbed on his way up the stairs. Luckily, Henry's cousins had taught him a thing or two when it came to fighting so he easily knocked the solider back and made his way up the stairs. 

"Turner!" Shouted the officer as more soldiers stepped to hinder him. 

He was seized again, and Henry frantically wrestled those who tried to stop him, successfully knocking down three of them before he was overpowered. "I will not let you kill us all!" Henry shouted.

"This is treason!" The captain said and stepped up and ripped the arms of his coat. "Lock him up!" The captain ordered and Henry was hauled down to the brig and locked into a cell. 

The officer sighed as he locked the cell door after tossing the young man inside. "This was your last chance, Turner," he muttered. if it were up to me, I'd string you from the yardarm." He stepped back from the door and then turned to his men. "On deck!" He ordered and they hurried back up to the deck.

Henry gathered the notes he'd dropped around the cell floor, sighing at the drawing. They were posters, all wanted posters of the man he'd been searching for for years. Captain Jack Sparrow. 

The old man in the cell next to Henry's picked one of the posters up and clicked his tongue. "Jack Sparrow," he snorted. "He's dead. Buried in an unmarked grave on the Isle of Saint Martin."

Henry sighed. he couldn't see much of the fight from where he was. The small window offered him no sight other than that of the open sea. Soon, however, the sun's light faded and Henry looked out. The captain had sailed them straight into the cave. Right into the Devil's Triangle. Cursing, Henry paced back and forth on the cell. 

He could hear the crew aboard settle down and the fight fade away. Soon there was nothing but an eerie silence in the air, and muffled whispers from the crew. Henry looked at the man in the other cell, who looked as concerned as he. 

Then, the silence was replaced by screams of horror and pained howlings. The crew on deck was under attack. Uncertain if he should remain silent or try and escape Henry stood still for a moment before he walked up the door. It was firmly locked and there was no way for him to escape the brig without keys.

Soon again, the silence returned but footsteps could be heard above deck. A thick liquid dripped from the ceiling and Henry held his hand out to investigate. The sight and smell of blood made him stagger back, knocking over a bucket places in the cell. The ruckus gained the attention of whoever was above deck and it was clear that whoever it was up there, they were headed down to the brig. Henry steadied himself. Slowly, the uneven steps approached the stairs.

Henry blinked and when he looked again a whole crew stood before him in the brig. There was something odd about them and when he looked closer he saw that most of them were not whole. They were ghosts. 

The man in the cell next to Henry's whimpered, he stood like frozen and clutched the bars of the cell while he stared at the ghostly crew. One of the ghosts, the one dressed in what had been a captain's coat stepped forward. His hair swirled in the air around him as if he was floating in water and he supported himself on his sword as he walked. The ghostly captain's eyes wandered to the many posters on the cell floor. 

"Jack Sparrow," he muttered and pierced one of the many posters with his sword and studied it for a few seconds. "Shh," he hissed and one of the other crewmembers stepped towards the whimpering man in the next cell and stabbed him. The man fell to the floor with a thud and Henry flinched.

"Do you know this pirate?" The ghost captain asked Henry, holding the poster up. 

"Only by name," Henry confessed breathlessly. 

The captain nodded. "You're looking for him?" he asked. He had an accent. Spanish, if Henry wasn't mistaken. Nervously, Henry stepped back as more of the ghostly crew stepped through the bars into his cell. "Is that a 'yes'?" 

"Yes," Henry said.

The captain blinked and turned to his crew. "For too many years the Triangle has cursed us... condemned us to this hell on earth," he muttered. "The key to our escape is Jack Sparrow... and the compass which he holds." He turned back to the young man. "No need to fear me, boy," he assured him. "I always leave one man alive to tell the tale." He leaned closer and held up the poster again. "Find Sparrow for me and relay a message from Captain Salazar. Salazar," he hissed. "Tell him I will behold the daylight again and on that day... death will come straight for him." He smiled and Henry shivered. "Would you say that to him? Please?"

Henry nodded, and stuttered, "Yes."

The captain looked pleased. "I wish I could do it myself, but... dead men tell no tales."


	3. A Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so into dad!James. You guy just won't understand. This family is just the best. I want to be a part of it. Let me be a part of it, please!

Jacqueline forced a smile as she walked across the courtyard of Fort Charles. She was dressed in a pink dress with ruffles around the sleeves and a corset that was too tight. She didn't like it one bit since she was used to wearing pants and blouses, and not dresses and itchy stockings. Her two younger brothers walked behind her, both dressed in navy blue coats, crisp white shirts, and fine hats. They looked like their father, all that was missing was the white wig.

Victoria smiled when her children joined them up by the wall. "Oh, Jackie," she said. "Look at you! You look beautiful."

"Do I really have to wear this?" Jacqueline asked. "It's uncomfortable, and I feel as if I can't breathe."

Her father was by her side in an instant. "Can we get the corset loosened?" He asked. "Please, stay away from the ledge, Jacqueline," he warned his daughter. 

Elizabeth came walking, chuckling as she watched the Lord fuss over his daughter. "We wouldn't want a repeat of what happened the last time we were here, would we?" She asked. James blushed. Elizabeth smiled at her niece. "I don't wear corsets any longer," she whispered and winked.

"As if you need one," Victoria said and gave her sister's arm a pat. "You're like a stick. Unlike some of us." She put her hand on her own corset, that was properly tightened.

James took his wife's hand in his. "Dear, you're the most beautiful woman here. Wonderful in every way and shape."

Victoria smiled and put her hands on her hips. "Three children and twenty-three years and you still think so?"

"Of course, dear," James smiled lovingly at her before he turned back to his daughter and smiled at her. "Jacqueline," he grasped her by the arms, "twenty-two years old. Time just flies, doesn't it?"

"Too fast, father?" Jacqueline grinned.

"Way too fast," James said with a nod. "Now, you tell me if any of these men are troublesome, and I'll have them removed right away," he mumbled to her and glanced around. There were quite a few young men around, there to celebrate the Lord's daughter's twenty-second birthday. Most of them were from the navy, a handful were family friends and one or two were friends of Jacqueline's brothers.

Victoria pulled her husband back. "She can handle herself, James. We raised her to do so, didn't we?" She winked at her daughter. 

"Of course," James smiled nervously. "You're right. Jacqueline is more than capable." It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself that that was the truth but from the looks of him he had a hard time accepting it. "Just... Don't be afraid to come to me in case it all gets... too much."

"Don't worry, da," Connor said and slung an arm around his sister's shoulders. "We'll keep an eye on her. Any of those guys want to talk to her they'll have to pass us first." The two twins stood on each side of their sister. They were months away from joining the Navy and they both loomed over their sister like two watchtowers.

James did look a little better but Victoria rolled her eyes. "Great," she said and turned to her sister. "Shouldn't Henry be here soon, Lizzie? I thought you said he'd be here the day before yesterday."

Elizabeth nodded. "He was," she said. "I'm starting to get worried, actually. Oh, I'm not sure if I should have let him join the navy."

"He'll be fine, Elizabeth," James said. "Henry's a good boy. I made sure he was assigned to a good ship this time around," he assured his sister-in-law. "However, the ship  _was_  supposed to be back two days ago and I haven't heard a word from it."

"I'm sure Henry's fine, Aunt Lizzie," Jacqueline said. "He promised me he'd be back for my birthday and it's not over yet, is it?" She smiled. "He could still show up."

Elizabeth smiled at the young girl. "Of course, Jackie. The day isn't over yet, and Henry does keep his promises."

Jacqueline smiled. "He'll be here," she said with a nod. "I have a feeling he'll show up soon."

"Shouldn't you be enjoying your party, dear? Your mother worked hard for it to be this lavish." Elizabeth said, nudging her niece. "I know for a fact that there's a lot of young men wishing to speak with you."

"Great," Jacqueline sighed.

James looked even more pleased with her reaction than he should. "The day is yours, dear," he said.

Jacqueline smiled at her family and stepped into the crowd, she was met by smiles, congratulations, and a fair deal of compliments. Since most of the young men there were from the Navy, Jacqueline recognized almost all of them. In a way, she'd grown up with them. She'd spent more time on the sea than on land and she disliked having to be dressed up.

"Jacqueline," one of the many young officers greeted her with a gentle smile. "Congratulations, you look stunning today," he said. He was called Carter Bishop and was a rather tall and muscular young man. His hair was long and golden and his eyes impossibly blue. There was no one who wouldn't call him handsome. "Would you like to walk the ramparts with me?"

Forcing a polite smile, Jacqueline quickly glanced over her shoulder. Her father watched from a distance though he tried to be discrete. She gave him an awkward smile and turned back to Carter. "Sure," she said and took the arm he offered.

They walked away from the party. Jacqueline mentally complaining about how uncomfortable the shoes were and how her stomach hurt from the tight corset. She forced another smile when Carter looked at her.

"I'm sorry I stole you away from your party," he said.

"Oh, don't worry. I needed a break," Jacqueline assured him. "Is it me or is it really warm all of a sudden?" She fanned herself with her hand.

Carter came to a stop. "Are you feeling unwell?" He asked, looking very concerned. "Is there anything I can do?"

Jacqueline shook her head. "It's... the dress," she confessed. "It's much too tight."

There was a tinge of pink on the young man's cheeks. "Oh," he said. "Do you... uh..." he seemed to struggle with words. "Do you need to take it off?"

"Goodness," Jacqueline laughed. "Careful, if my father heard you it'll be all over for you." She leaned closer to whisper, "I wouldn't mind taking it off, though, so I can get my breath back."

Now, Carter was definitely blushing but he cleared his throat and turned to look at the sea. Jacqueline did too, missing the waves and the gentle swaying of the water. They stood silently for a few moments until Carter spoke up, beginning what Jacqueline had known would come.

"You're a fine woman, Jacqueline. One a man would be proud to call his wife, one day," he said. He looked nervous but there was a softness in him that made him appear rather collected. He looked up and met Jacqueline's eyes. "Perhaps... you could..." he paused and Jacqueline patiently waited for him to continue. Carter cleared his throat again. "Would you consider me a worthy husband?" He asked.

Jacqueline was uncertain of what to say. "Bloody hell," she muttered under her breath. "Carter, I... this wasn't unexpected but... I don't know what to say."

"Might I make it easier for you?" He took her hands in his. "All you have to do is answer yes or no," he said. "Jacqueline, will you marry me?"

Jacqueline opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. She opened it a final time to answer when some commotion behind her stole her attention away. She looked over her shoulder and saw her cousin in the crowd, surrounded by her aunt, parents, and brothers. He looked wild with his eyes blown wide and hands trembling as he spoke. Jacqueline turned back to Carter. "Forgive me, but my answer must wait," she told him and pried her hands out of his, turning on her heels and hurrying back towards the party.

"J-Jacqueline," Carter protested mildly.

"Henry," she said when she approached her cousin. He was covered with dirt and the arms of his coat were ripped, like a traitor's would be. Jaqueline didn't hesitate to embrace him and help him out of the coat before everyone saw it. "I knew you'd come," she said, tossing the coat aside, under a table.

"Jackie," Henry pulled away and turned to her father, saluting him. "Uncle, s-sir," he stuttered. "I've news."

James nodded, sensing the graveness in the young man's voice. "Of course, come with me, son," he said and put a hand on Henry's back, leading him away from the party and down into the fort. Elizabeth and Jacqueline followed without hesitation, leaving the party behind. "What have you got to tell me?" James asked once they were in his office. 

Elizabeth disliked the place, it was Cutler Beckett's old office and it didn't take much of her imagination to see him sitting in the chair James now sat in. The large map in the wall was now completed, but other than that the office looked much the same. 

Henry furrowed his brows and explained what had happened. "We chased a ship into the rocks, sir. We thought it to be like any other pirate ship, but... I'm afraid we were misled."

"Misled?" Elizabeth asked.

"We sailed straight into the Triangle, sir. Ghosts attacked," Henry gulped. "They killed the entire crew, but left me to send a message."

"What message?" James demanded.

Henry looked concerned. "A message to Jack Sparrow," he mumbled. "I have to find him, sir. Not only to deliver the message."

Jacqueline perked up. "Uncle Jack?" She asked. "You're going after Jack Sparrow?"

Her father looked at her with stern eyes. "Shouldn't you be at your party?" He asked her and crossed his arms over his chest. 

"Oh, no." Jacqueline frantically shook her head. "I needed to get out of there. We're not even an hour into the party and someone's already proposed," she sighed.

"Proposed?" James sputtered, shooting forward in his seat. "Who proposed?"

Jacqueline shrugged. "Carter Bishop."

"Oh, Jackie," Elizabeth smiled.

"I know the boy." James furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. "Good looking and hard working," his expression turned sour. "I don't know if he's right for you," he confessed. "He's too... I don't think he's right," he repeated.

Jacqueline didn't protest. "I didn't answer, said I needed a moment to think." She turned back to her cousin. "If you're going after Jack, then I want to come along," she said. "I can help," she quickly added when James looked as if he was about to explode. "I'm more than capable, you said so earlier. I'm a good sailor, I'm good with a sword," she tried to convince him. "Father, let me go with him, please!"

Henry turned to James. "I could use her help," he admitted.

James looked the most displeased Jacqueline had ever seen him, but he seemed to consider letting her go. "Please, father." Jacqueline pleaded. "I don't want to stay in Port Royal, and I certainly don't want to marry Carter Bishop."

"You don't?" James looked surprised.

"No, I don't," Jaqueline said. "He's not my type, and I want to sail."

A smile spread across James' face. "Well," he said getting up. "I suppose we'll have to find Sparrow, then."

"Then..." Jacqueline grinned.

"You may go, if you go with Henry," James nodded. "However," he quickly added. "I will accompany you for as long as I can, I'm not ready to let you go just yet."

Jacqueline darted around the desk and hugged her father. "Thank you!" She cheered. "Thank you!" 

James wrapped his arms around his daughter, sighing into her long, dark hair. He closed his eyes, not wanting to let her go at all. "But right now, today," James murmured, "we are to celebrate your birthday. You're going to give Carter Bishop your answer to his proposal, and you are not to mention running after Jack to anyone until I've made the arrangements. Am I making myself clear?"

His daughter nodded. "Perfectly clear, sir!" She promised. "You won't regret this," she assured him. 

"Oh, if I know your father right, he already has," Elizabeth grinned. 

The Lord chuckled stiffly and pulled away from his daughter. "You head back to your party, dear," he told her. "I'll be right with you after I've had a word with your cousin. All right?" He smiled.

"Yes, sir," Jacqueline nodded before she quickly left the office with a beaming smile and light steps.

Henry looked at James. "I'll look after her, if that's what you need, sir. She's my cousin, I'll protect her with my life," he offered.

James laughed. "It wasn't what I was going to ask, Henry, but it's comforting to know that I can trust you with that as well... although I'm fairly certain she'll be the one protecting you," he added silently. "What I need you to do, is carry yet another message to Jack." He walked closer. "Would you do that?"

"Yes, sir," Henry nodded. 

"Tell him," James hummed, folding his hands behind his back, "That if he puts my daughter in any form of danger, and if she gets hurt... I will take up pirate hunting again."

-

Jacqueline smiled apologetically at Carter when she returned. "I'm sorry, my attention was needed elsewhere," she said and straightened her skirt. 

Carter smiled politely, but nervously. "I understand, you're the woman of the day, after all," he said. "Whatever got your attention... you've returned in high spirits," he pointed out and Jacqueline nodded happily. 

"Yes, let's just say I've gotten some very good news." She turned back to the sea, staring longingly at the horizon. The sea and the sky seemed to merge, the sky just a few shades lighter than the alluring sea. Jacqueline could stare herself blind, there was nothing more beautiful than the ocean and a faraway horizon.

The young man beside her stood next to her and put his hand over hers. She looked down at it and was reminded of his question. "Have you given my proposal any thought?" Carter asked. "I must sound so very impatient but I must insist that you answer. I'm leaving Port Royal in a few weeks, you see."

Jacqueline repressed a sigh and turned to him with a rather blank expression. "Carter," she mumbled. "I'm very flattered, and you're a good man. But I'm afraid that I can't marry you."

Carter 's face fell into a frown. "I see," he said. 

"I'm sorry," Jacqueline said.

Carter smiled again, to be polite. "No, please don't be. It was your honest answer I was after. I wouldn't have any other, believe me," he assured her. "What I said stands, you're a fine woman, Jacqueline. I wish you the best."

"The same goes for you, Carter. I hope life will treat you well."

"Jackie!" Called Connor. "Jackie, come and look." He waved at her.

Jacqueline turned to Carter and excused herself again, this time for good. "What now?" She asked as she walked to meet her brother. "What is it?" She asked when she noticed her younger brother's sly look. "Where's Ed?" Jacqueline's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Connor pushed her towards the courtyard, "We've your gift ready for you," he said. "He's gone to get it."

"You got me a gift?" Jacqueline asked, as her brother pushed her down the steps to the courtyard.

"A gift, and a challenge," Connor grinned. 

"Challenge?" Jacqueline asked with a smile, she liked that word. "What kind of challenge?" She asked and her brother let go of her and walked around her. "Connor? Edmund?" She looked at her other brother came walking with a black case in his hands. "What's this about?"

"Happy birthday," the two brothers said in unison, holding the case out for their sister.

Jacqueline looked at her brothers and then reached forward and opened the case. Within laid a thin steel blade with a sleek black grip and a silver hilt. She gasped softly, "It's beautiful," she said, gingerly running her fingers over the steel. "You got this for me?"

Connor and Edmund nodded. "Saved up together, and from what we've heard you're going to need it." They grinned. "But," Connor said. "If you want it, you'll have to beat us both in a duel." 

"Challenge accepted," Jacqueline nodded. "I'll take you both down in my dress and heels." She looked confident and her brothers delighted that she hadn't turned them down. She reached out and grabbed the blade and its scabbard from the case, along with the slim belt the scabbard it was attached to. She quickly tied the belt around herself and sheathed the sword.

Edmund quickly went and put the case down and then came back to stand beside his brother. "May the best swordsman win," Connor said.

"You mean woman?" Jacqueline grinned.

Victoria watched from the stairs near, gently shaking her head. James came back from his office followed by Henry and Elizabeth. "What's going on now?" He asked.

His wife took his arm and gave it a squeeze. "Your sons have challenged your daughter for her birthday present, she's accepted," she explained. "You're not going to stop them, are you? They're having so much fun." She gave her husband a pleading look.

"I'm not," James assured her. He smiled down at his wife and then turned to watch his children duel. "I've trained her myself, I'd be embarrassed if she'd turned the offer down, to be perfectly honest," he admitted.

Down on the courtyard, Jacqueline had drawn her new sword and so had her brothers. Two against one was a little unfair, but the young woman knew how to handle a sword and she knew how to handle her brothers. Put those together and she stood a good chance at winning.

The party guests gathered to watch what was going on. "En garde!" Jaqueline challenged her brothers. 

They both had their swords pointed at her and wore identical grins. "Ladies first," Edmund said.

Jacqueline bowed her head and lunged forward, feigning a strike towards Edmund but changing it last second and stuck against Connor. While Edmund blocked, Connor was distracted enough to be receptible to attack. He jumped back and managed to evade just in time. "Oi! Cheat!" He protested and parried a strike from his sister.

"You weren't ready!" Jacquelin grinned and stepped to the right when Edmund slashed his sword against her. She pushed Connor back and grabbed her skirt, holding it up. 

Edmund had already lunged for her and his sword ripped through the skirt of the dress. "Edmund!" Victoria gasped in horror as she watched.

Jacqueline grinned and yanked at the skirt, it ripped but the blade got tangled in the fabric and Edmund lost his grip. His sister grabbed his dropped sword and pulled it from her dress. She now had a weapon in each hand and only one of her brothers were armed. She pointed her sword at Connor and the other sword at Edmund. 

Connor didn't look discouraged but when Jacqueline moved forward and attacked. He took a step back, and Jacqueline didn't hesitate to step after him, striking again and again until she found an opening in her brother's defense. She feigned a stab but swirled and turned it into a slash from the right. Connor cursed when he clumsily adjusted her posture but he failed to hold onto his sword.

The blade hit the ground and Jacqueline put her foot on it, "Admit defeat," she said, pointing the swords she held at her brothers.

The two brothers looked at one another and then at their sister. "We give up." They nodded.

James smiled to himself. "She's a natural," he said softly and leaned closer to his wife. "Did you see her footwork? Impeccable," he said proudly. 

Victoria shoved him in the side. "Ruined her new dress, too," she muttered. "Jackie," she grunted when her daughter came walking with her new sword hanging on her hip. "Your dress."

"Sorry," Jacqueline frowned. "It really was an accident."

James smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "You made me proud, dear," he said. "Amazing work, as always."

"Learned from the best," Jacqueline smiled at her father. 

There was a brief pause before James ran his hand over her cheeks and her hair. "I was worried to send you away, dear. But I know that you can do it and I'm so very proud of you," he told her. "My treasure." He chuckled as he gave her chin a nudge.

Jacqueline smiled at him. "I love you, father," she cooed, "mother," she hugged her mother and father. "I'll make you both proud, I promise."


	4. The Jack Sparrow

Jacqueline looked at the port before them and then turned to her Father. He'd gone with her and Henry to Saint Martin where the rumors placed Jack last. It was only a rumor however, but this was where Jacqueline would part ways with her father. "We'll find Jack," she said. "He can't be dead. Mother said he wasn't."

James repressed a sigh. "I believe you'll find him, Jacqueline. One way or another," he said.

"I won't let Henry down," Jacqueline said and then turned her gaze to the small city of Saint Martin. Henry, who'd already left the ship waited for her on the docks. "This is it," she smiled up at her father.

He nodded solemnly and eyed his daughter. She was dressed in trousers and a blouse under a navy blue coat. It looked suspiciously much like Connor's recruit jacket. Her long dark hair was let loose, and she had a leather hat in her hand. James let out a shaky breath. "Are you ready?" He asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Jacqueline nodded. "Are you ready?"

The question took James by surprise. He wasn't ready, but he knew that he had to be. He smiled softly. "I've dreaded this day since you were born," he confessed. "If I could I'd never let you out of my sight, but... you're a grown woman now. You don't need your father running after you wherever you go."

The young woman looked concerned for a moment. "Will you be alright?" She whispered.

"Come back safely to me, and I'll be just fine, dear," James assured her. He pulled her into a hug, possibly the last. "I love you, Jacqueline, be safe. Come home in one piece."

"I will," the young woman nodded. "Wish me luck," she said and waved at her father as she jumped off the ship and hurried over to where her cousin waited for her on the docks. She smiled at her father one last time before she turned around and followed Henry into the crowd.

James' smile fell the moment she was out of sight. He regretted letting her leave, but it was too late for him to stop her. A knot of anxiety formed in his stomach and worry gnawed at him from the inside. He stretched his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of his daughter in the crowd but she was nowhere to be seen. He felt like crying and quickly turned away. He was weak when it came to his family.

"Captain," his first mate came walking, and James quickly composed himself. "We'll be ready to leave within the hour."

"Yes," James nodded and turned to the crewman. "Notify me the moment we can leave, I'll be in my quarters if you need me."

-

"This way," Henry grasped his cousin's hand in his so that he wouldn't lose her in the crowd. "You with me?" He looked over his shoulder and saw the excited smile on Jacqueline's lips.

"I'm with you," she nodded. She'd pressed her hat on her head and tied back her hair, and she looked like she belonged in the navy. Jacqueline gave his hand a firm squeeze, to let him know she was there and ready for anything. "Where are we going?" She asked.

Henry shrugged his shoulders and pulled her to a clearing near a well. "How hard could it be to find him? You know him, right?"

"I've only met him a handful of times, but I'd recognize him if I saw him," Jacqueline said. "So," she said and put her hands on her hips. "Where do we start?"

"He could be anywhere," Henry said and shook his head.

"We should stick together, right?"

"Right." Henry nodded, and they exchanged smirks.

Jacqueline jutted her thumb towards the Plaza. "I go that way, you go the other?" She suggested.

Henry nodded, a wide grin a spread across his face. "You got it," he said, and the two split up, heading in different directions.

Jacqueline walked tall among through the crowd. She blended in quite well, as long as no one looked at her too long. A woman in royal navy clothing was sure to wake some attention. But with one of her father's medals adorning her chest, she felt as if she could do anything. James had given it to her the night before, for luck. It was a gold medal shaped like a sun.

Would anyone mistake her for an honored officer? She wondered as she walked towards the plaza. She had a look around once she was in the middle of the square and there was no sign of Jack or Henry.

Something spotted her attention, someone in the crowd moving not quite like the rest. While the townspeople seemed to move slowly without a goal, the woman Jacqueline had spotted seemed to have her goal set before her and walked with determined steps towards the hospital. In her hands, she carried a book embellished with a large red stone on the cover.

Jacqueline followed, curiosity driving her to jog after the young woman. However, when she the woman noticed that she was being followed she quickened her pace. Grinning, Jacqueline cut through an alley and intercepted the strange woman before she had time to slip past her.

She put her hand on the wall to stop the young woman from running. "In a hurry?"

"Leave me alone you-" The young woman stopped and stared at Jacqueline with wide eyes. "You're a woman," she said.

"I am, surprised?" Jacqueline smiled. She eyed the young woman and Jacqueline couldn't do anything but stare for a few moments. The woman before Jacqueline was the most beautiful creature Jacqueline had ever seen in her entire life. Her eyes were the color of the sea, and her lips formed a perfect pout. "Where are you headed?" Jacqueline asked.

The woman before Jacqueline tensed. "None of your business. Why did you follow me?" She asked, clutching the book in her hand to her chest. "Are you with the navy?"

"Not really," Jacqueline shook her head. "Mind if I ask you a few questions? I'm looking for someone, and you don't seem like the rest of the mellow townsfolk around," she said. The woman before her nodded hesitantly. "I'm looking for a pirate, called Jack Sparrow. It's important that I find him."

"You're looking for a pirate?"

"I am," Jacqueline said with a smile. "You know about him? He's quite famous."

The strange woman crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you looking for a pirate? It'll get you nothing but hung around here." Jacqueline shrugged, and the woman rolled her eyes. "Check Grimes' Pub, I've heard something about a pirate Sparrow there."

With a nod, Jacqueline stepped back and let her arm drop back to her side. "I will. Thank you," she said.

"There she is! Witch!" came a shout from the other side of the alley. The two woman turned and saw an array of soldiers heading their way. "Catch her, soldier!" One of them shouted, and Jacqueline realized that he was referring to her, and had yet to see that she was not with them.

She gave the woman before her a shove. "That's our cue to get out of here," she said, and they hurried out of the alley. "Go!" Jacqueline pushed the woman to the left. "I'll draw them off."

"If they catch you-"

"They won't," Jacqueline promised. "Thanks for the help again," she said before pointing and shouting in the deepest voice she could. "There she went! That way!" She pointed towards the docks. "She's escaping!"

She came to a stop, and the soldiers ran past her, continuing in the direction she'd pointed. Jacqueline kept her head bowed low so that they wouldn't be able to get a good look at her. When she turned around the strange woman was nowhere to be seen. Jacqueline smiled to herself. If she were to find her godfather, then Grimes' Pub was as good a place to start as any.

Jacqueline ducked back into the alley when two soldiers came her way. She was tempted to step out just to see what would happen. If she got arrested, would her father be able to do something about it? Part of her wanted to try it just to answer that question, but she decided against it and headed towards the square. Someone there had to know where the Pub was.

-

Henry looked up when he heard his name being called. Moments later his cousin appeared by his side. "You're here," she said. "You find anything?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "Just talked to the barkeep. Jack Sparrow was here last night, but he was arrested and is currently locked up in prison."

"Then we have to get him out of there," Jacquelin whispered. "You think you can get in?" She asked.

"Not so loud!" Henry hissed at her, pulling her out of the tavern to speak outside. "I think I might be able to sneak in, but why can't you do it? You're already dressed like them," he pointed out.

Jacqueline snorted. "Me? I'm fine for as long as they don't look at me twice. They don't have women in the navy, you dingus." She punched her cousin in the shoulder. "You get yourself a way in, and I'll try and distract the guards. Okay?"

Henry nodded. "Okay, wait... how are you going to do that?"

The young woman took her hat off and her hair cascaded down over her shoulder and down her back. She gave her cousin a kittenish look and pouted her lips. "Oh," Henry's lips formed an understanding 'O', "I see what you mean."

"Don't tell my father, though," Jacqueline chuckled. "He'll lock me up in Fort Charles until the day I turn grey," she said.

They hurried towards the prison and hid in an alley not too far away. "I'll try and distract a few of them while you go in," Jacqueline said, shedding her hat and coat and hiding them behind a couple of crates conveniently stacked behind her. "We'll meet back here again later, okay?"

"Right," he grabbed her by the hand before she had time to rush off. "Hey, you be careful, okay?" He said. "We meet back here, as soon as possible, alright?"

Jacqueline nodded, and Henry let her hand go. The young woman ran off, and Henry waited a few moments before he followed.

With little trouble, he could walk into the prison and grab a coat and hat as if he was any other young soldier. He could hear voices talk outside and when he glanced out the window, he spotted his cousin smiling charmingly at the three guards outside, jutting her thumb towards the marketplace not that far away. They all seemed excited to go with her and called for some of their friends inside to join her.

The fewer guards there, the better Henry's chances were.

He snuck down into the prison, trying to act normal as he passed an older soldier on his way out. Henry waited until the soldier was gone until he started looking around.

He looked into the first cell and eyed the tired man within. "I'm looking for a pirate," he whispered. "Jack Sparrow?" He asked. The man in the cell grunted at him to go away, and Henry continued further down the line of cells. In the second cell stood a pirate, looking out through the bars. Henry tried to gain his attention. "I need to speak with you," he hissed but got no reply.

Turning away to continue to the next cell, Henry was caught by surprise as a set of arms poked out through the iron bars of the cell and grasped him around the throat. "Hand me your sword," said a rugged voice.

"I-I don't have a sword," Henry said.

"What kind of soldier doesn't have a weapon?"

Henry struggled to get free. "I'm considered a traitor by some," he hissed.

There was a brief pause, and the grip on his neck loosened slightly. "So not the very good kind," the man grunted in his ear.

"I'm looking for a pirate. Captain Jack Sparrow," Henry quickly explained, and the prisoner let him go. Henry lept forward, away from the cell and glared at the man inside. The man grinned at him, revealing several gold teeth in his mouth.

"Then today's your lucky day," he said. "Because I just happen to be Captain Jack Sparrow," he grinned and gestured to himself, flicking his hair and looking awfully pleased with himself. He looked to be slightly drunk, still, and Henry wondered how much the man had had to drink the night before to still be intoxicated.

Disappointment washed over Henry. Was the man before him really the Jack Sparrow? The man he'd heard and read about? The man his aunt wouldn't shut up about and his cousin would never talk a bad word of? He slouched and shook his head in defeat.

"No," Henry said, "you can't be. I've spent all this time looking for... this?" he asked. "The great Jack Sparrow isn't some drunk in a cell." Jack's confident grin turned into a sour grimace. "Do you even have a ship?" Henry asked. "A crew?" His eyes wandered over the pirate and noticed the lack of trousers. "P-... Pants?"

"A great pirate does not require such intricacies," Jack smiled innocently.

Henry started to get frustrated with the drunken pirate. "Do you know how long I've waited for this moment? The risks I've taken to be here?" he asked. "God... Thanks a lot, Jackie," he muttered to himself.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he asked, approaching the bars and glaring at the young man on the other side.

"My name is Henry Turner," Henry said. "Son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann."

Recognition sparked in Jack's eyes. "Henry, of course! I remember you. Last time I saw you, you were about this big," he said and held his hands just a little over a foot apart. "Auntie ever talk about me?"

Henry glared at him. "Too much," he muttered.

Jack looked beyond pleased. "What a woman," he murmured to himself.

"I need you to listen, Jack," Henry demanded his attention. "I've found a way to save my father. There's one thing that can break his curse and free him from the Dutchman." He hesitated and glanced around in the prison and then back at the pirate in the cell. "The Trident of Poseidon."

Amused, Jack nodded. "Ah, the treasure to be found with a map no man can read." Henry leaned closer with a smile, and Jack looked as if he was about to say something important, but instead settled with a "Never heard of it," and a grin.

"Jack," Henry growled. "Outside this prison, there's a young woman waiting to see you. Do you want to see her? Or should she see your corpse after your execution?" he asked angrily. Jack leaned closer, so close that his nose was almost pressed against the iron bars.

"What girl? Who are you talking about? You said before..." he pointed at Henry with an accusing glare, "You said Jackie. Is my Jackie here?" he asked trying to look out of the cell to see if he could spot her. "Have you gone a dragged the poor girl into trouble?"

Taken aback by the reaction, Henry fell back. "You do know, Jackie," he mumbled.

A string of curses left the pirate, that seemed to sober up after he'd heard about his godchild. He walked around the cell, gritting angry words and frustrated mutters. Then he turned back to Henry. "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know she's really here?"

"You'll have to take my word for it," Henry said. "Oh," he added, "And I've got some messages for you. One from Lord James Norrington."

Jack wrinkled his nose. "What does that old bloke want?" He asked, swatting his hand dismissively.

"He told me to tell you," Henry said. "If his daughter is hurt because of you then he'd take pirate hunting back up."

Jack snorted. "He doesn't worry me the slightest," he said. "Next."

"A message from someone you know, named Captain Salazar." Henry could tell that Jack tensed up, the way his shoulders drew up and his lips were pressed together into a concerned pout. "El Matador del Mar," Henry clarified. "The butcher of the sea."

The pirate retreated from the iron bars and went to stand by the window to look out into the night. "Oh him? No, no," he squeaked, trying to hide his worries. "Quite happily, he's dead," he said. "Very, very dead. His ship went down!"

"Inside the triangle," Henry said. "He's coming for you, Jack. To seek revenge as the Dead Man's Tale is told."

"I don't believe you!" Jack said but hesitated and looked at the young man with a curious glare. "What did he say?" He couldn't help but ask.

"He said your compass was the key to his escape." Henry stepped closer to the iron bars, leaning in so close his lips almost touched the rusty metal. "An army of dead are coming for you, Jack. The Trident of Poseidon is your only hope."

The two men stared each other down. Then Henry spoke again, "Do we have an accord?"

-

"There you are!" Jacqueline said when Henry returned. She'd waited for him in the alley and looked very impatient to hear what he had to say. She was back in her navy coat and her hair was tucked in under her hat. "Well?" She asked. "Did you find him? Was he there?"

Henry nodded. "He was there alright," he muttered. "Not quite what I expected."

"How do we get him out?"

"He said he's got a crew and a ship."

Jacqueline smiled. "I knew his old crew, they'd help if I asked them to." She said and grinned. "And if not, I've got something to persuade them with." She said and held up a small pouch to show her cousin.

Henry rolled his eyes. "That's not nearly enough coins to pay an entire crew, much less a pirate crew!" he hissed.

"Little Henry," Jacqueline shook her head and clicked her tongue. "You think I don't know how to handle pirates," she laughed at him and opened the pouch, emptying some of its content in the palm of her hands. There were no coins in the pouch but shine gemstones of all the colors you could think of.

Gawking, Henry stared at the gems then looked at his cousin with wide yes. "Where did you get that?"

Jacqueline shrugged. "I've sailed with my father for years. Privateering last summer. Pays well," she grinned. "I'll handle the crew," she assured her cousin. "All we have to do is find them."

Henry nodded. It sure sounded easy enough. He watched his cousin pour the gems back into the pouch and put it away in the inner pocket of her coat. Jacqueline had always been clever and resourceful, and she was the one out of the two who'd met Jack before. Henry remembered countless stories about the great pirate Jack Sparrow. Either Jacqueline was crazy, or she didn't know Jack at all.

"How did you get rid of those guards?" Henry asked.

The young woman looked over at the prison, that was still visible in the distance. "Told them I had a couple of lonely friends over in the tavern and that we were looking for some strong men to keep us company," she smiled at Henry. "And it's very easy to start a fight in a tavern full of drunkards."

Chuckling, Henry gave her shoulder a pat. "You've got your ways."

"And you've got yours." Jacqueline grinned. "Now come on, let's find that crew and figure out a way to save Jack."

 


	5. I Saved Her Life!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that the updates have been late. I write and store all my story on Wattpad (and then post them here. Because... I do) and the Wattpad servers seem to have had some problems lately, so basically all my stories have been locked away from me for the past week or so. I've got access to them now and hopefully, the servers will stay up this time.

The sun shone, and the townsfolk were in an awfully chirpy mood. Jacqueline glared down at the crowd as she made her way up the clocktower with Henry. From the top, they could see the whole square and the two stages set up for executions.

She frowned seeing a noose ready for a neck below the tower. "That's horrible," she said. "Did you see the guillotine?" She asked, wrinkling her nose at the sight of the sharp blade. It glimmered in the sunlight, looking sharp and positively deadly.

Henry didn't say anything and pointed at a carriage that came from the prison. "Jack's got to be in that." He said, and true enough the pirate was hauled out of the wagon moments later.

Jacqueline smiled when she spotted him. "There he is!" She smiled, but the smile faded quickly when she saw that the soldiers marched Jack towards the guillotine. "Bloody hell," she muttered. Her eyes scanned the square, and she let out a groan when she spotted a familiar girl walking up the stairs to the noose. "Oh, bloody hell," she said, louder than last time.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Henry said and patted her on the back before he swung himself from the tower in a thick rope. Jacqueline cringed, watching him swing way too far out and missing both the stage and the ledge.

"Oh, Henry," she shook her head and grabbed the second rope.

She stayed for a moment longer, watching Henry land in the dirt and start a fight with the soldiers that quickly overpowered him and seized him. The town's mayor, Dix, stood and laughed. "Get another noose!"

A man in a Lieutenant coat glared at Henry. "Did you really think you could defeat us, boy?"

Henry grinned at him. "No, sir," he replied. "I'm just the diversion." He looked at the crowd and yelled, "Fire!"

In the middle of the crowd, a cannon had been rolled in, and with the punk in hand, Joshamee Gibbs fired the cannon, wrecking part of the stage where the guillotine was mounted. The crowd dispersed and soldier dove of the stage while the guillotine collapsed.

Henry took advantage of the commotion and tore himself away from the soldiers, punching one of them in the jaw.

"Reload!" Gibbs shouted as the smoke from the first shot settled.

With that, Jacqueline swung down from the tower, landing on the stage closest to the tower. The girl standing with the nose around her neck was the same stranger she'd run into the day before. "Fancy seeing you again," Jacqueline smiled at her and drew her sword. "You look like you could use some help."

Three soldiers climbed the stairs, and Jacqueline pointed her blade at them. "Come on then!" She taunted them. They threw themselves forward to attack. "I never caught your name," Jacqueline said as she fought off the soldiers, grunting when she was pushed into the railing of the stage. She quickly recovered and stepped out of the way as one of the men dove for her. When she moved he dove straight off the stage and landed headfirst in a pile of rubbish.

"This is hardly the time!" The tied up girl shook her head.

"I'm Jacqueline Norrington," said the fighter as she kicked another soldier off the stage.

"Carina Smyth," the woman stomped with her feet and stuck her leg out, tripping the third and final soldier so that Jacqueline could shove him off the ledge.

Jacqueline sheathed her sword with a smile. "Pleased to meet you, Carina."

"Duck!" Carina shouted, and Jacqueline didn't hesitate to dive down as another cannon ball flew through the air and blew a hole in the building before her. Rubble flew everywhere, and a chunk of the building came crashing down on the stage, tipping the lever just enough for the floor to give away under Carina.

She screamed when she fell, but before the rope could tighten itself around her neck, someone caught her, holding her up just enough for her not to strangle to death. Jacqueline looked down through the hole in the stage with wide eyes. "Henry!" She gasped.

"Got her."

"Oi! Watch where you put those hands!" Carina complained.

Jacqueline severed the rope and Henry put Carina down, she quickly got rid of the noose and turned to see the Lieutenant aim his pistol at her and Henry. He cocked his pistol but before he could fire he was hit across the head with a thick piece of wood. Jack dropped the plank in disgust once the Lieutenant was down and unconscious.

He turned to look at Henry and Carina. "You did it, kid. Now you'll lead us to that Trident, savvy?"

"Trident?" Carina asked looking at Henry with a puzzled expression.

On the stage, Jacqueline cheered and jumped down, landing rather gracefully despite the high drop. "Uncle Jack!" She cheered running to her godfather.

Jack's face split into a grin so wide it looked as if it'd break in half. He opened his arms and caught his godchild in his arms. "Jackie," he cooed, squeezing her tightly. He picked her up and spun a whole lap before he put her back down.

"I've missed you," Jacqueline pulled away. "You look just like I remember you," she said and eyed him.

"And you look eerily like your mother did your age," Jack said. He noticed the pendant around her neck and recognized it as the one he'd given her nearly a decade ago. She'd kept it just like promised. "I've heard I've got you to thank for the rescue. Thank you, dear."

Jacqueline smiled at him and turned to Gibbs. "Nicely done, Gibbs. Except for that last shot," she held up a warning finger. "Nearly blew my head off." She turned to her cousin and to the young woman they'd just rescued.

Jack gave Gibbs a glare, and the old sailor held his hands up in defense. "I didn't try and hit her if that's what you think!"

The Captain turned to the rest of his crew, that were all staring at his godchild. "Hey! Eyes off her! Off limits, ya hear?" He warned them, slapping the closest crewman on the back of his neck.

"Carina, are you all right?" Jacqueline asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Carina brushed some dust off her skirt. "Thanks to you, I suppose."

"I'm fine too if anyone's asking," Henry pointed out. "Fought a bunch of soldiers. Like... fourteen of them."

Jacqueline furrowed her eyebrows. "There weren't fourteen, are you daft? There were like three. Then you went and groped this poor woman." She gestured at Carina.

Henry's cheeks turned red. "I saved her life!"

His cousin ignored him and turned back to Carina. "Please forgive my cousin. He's a bit awkward with women."

"Takes after his father," Jack muttered.

"Anyways," Jacqueline said. "You really shouldn't stay in town. Bad for your health and all that." She smiled.

"Wait," Carina said. "You mentioned a Trident. I..." she hesitated. "You're talking about the Trident of Poseidon, aren't you? I might help you find it. I... I have a map."

Jack gently pushed his goddaughter out of the way. "Perfect, just what we need." He grinned and turned to his crew. "Take these prisoners to my ship at once!"

Henry and Carina were hauled away by the crew and Jacqueline grabbed Jack by the arm. "What are you doing? How do you expect her to help us if we take her prisoner?" She asked. "And Henry's my cousin," she pointed out.

Jack pouted his lips. He didn't particularly like the younger Turner. He'd dragged Jacqueline to Saint Martin to hunt a Trident holding all the curses in the sea. He might as well have dumped her overboard during a storm. "You seem to be your mother and father's daughter. How would you get them to cooperate?"

The young woman smiled. "By talking," she said. "Have you ever tried bargaining?"

"More times than I can count," Jack muttered. "It doesn't work half as many times as I've wanted it to."

"Well, this time you've got me around." Jacqueline hooked her arm with her godfather's, and together they hurried after the crew.

-

The Dying Gull looked like a wreck. The hull just barely held together and several of the crew seemed to doubt whether or not it would float once in the water.

Henry and Carina had already been tied to the mast by the time Jacqueline climbed aboard the ship.

"Uncle Jack," she complained when she spotted her cousin and the woman they'd saved tied with thick ropes. "That really isn't necessary." She walked up to Carina with a weak smile. "Sorry about this," she said. "Pirates and all that."

Carina didn't look very frightened. If anything she looked unimpressed and almost bored. "The Captain's your uncle?"

"Godfather," Jacqueline smiled. "Captain Jack Sparrow himself." She looked proud but quickly settled down and gave Carina a rather grave look. "Can you find the Trident?"

"I could if you didn't have me tied up."

Without hesitation, Jacqueline drew her sword and cut the rope to free Carina. "Better?"

Jack watched his goddaughter speak with the rumored witch and the young Turner. While Carina seemed distrustful at first, she seemed to put her faith in the only other woman aboard the ship. The two women came to an agreement and then turned to Jack.

"I'll help you find the Trident... I do owe you my life," Carina admitted reluctantly. "Tonight, I'll give you your map."

One of the crewmen, Scrum, stepped forward. "Why not now?" He asked. "And isn't it a map no man can read?"

Jacqueline gave his shoulder a rough pat. "You're very lucky you've got two women aboard then, aren't you?" She grinned and turned to the Captain. "She's an astronomer." She nodded at Carina.

"A what?" Bollard asked.

"She raises donkeys," the man behind him, named Scrum, piped up.

The two young women stared at them in confusion and concern. "They aren't serious," Carina said in disbelief, shaking her head and glancing at Jacqueline for some sort of clarification. "They can't possibly be serious."

"Oh, I'm afraid they are," Jacqueline mumbled. "Pirates never have been the brightest bunch."

The crewmen argued for a while about the tasks of an astronomer until Carina interrupted them both. "An astronomer contemplates the sky," she said and pointed up at the blue sky. "Your map is among the stars and is only visible at night."

"But what about the donkey?" Asked Scrum.

"There's no donkey!" Carina shouted.

"Well, then how do you breed them?"

Jacqueline walked to her godfather's side and leaned against him, grinning as she watched Carina argue with the crew. Henry came and stood on Jack's other side. "I like her, she's got some guts," Jacqueline said with a smile.

Henry nodded. "Pretty too."

"Oi!" His cousin glared at him. "I saw her first!"

"I saved her life," Henry said with a smirk.

"Yeah? Well, I saved her first. At this point you're just repeating what I've done," Jacqueline growled.

The two cousins glared at one another until Jack stepped between them. "Are you really going to argue about a girl?" He asked them before quickly turning to his goddaughter. "Of course, I'm on your side, and I'm definitely rooting for you, Jackie," he said softly and then turned to Henry. "I don't particularly like you, but Jackie's made me promise to be nice. But any advice you get from me will be bad."

Henry snorted. "I'm just as charming as you are," he said to his cousin. "I've got just as big of a chance with her as you do."

"You want to bet?" Jacqueline asked.

"What are you betting?" Henry looked interesting. Jack curiously looked at the two youngsters as they seemed to have a competitive staredown.

Jacqueline put her hands on her hips. "Twenty silvers," she said.

Henry nodded. "Deal," he extended a hand, and his cousin shook it firmly. "Twenty silvers."

Not sure if he should be impressed or not, Jack pushed past the two cousins and gave Gibbs a pat on the shoulder. "We're running on a tight schedule, Gibbs! I want this ship back where she belongs! In the great blue sea!" He grinned. "Cut the shard!"

Gibbs' frown grew tenfold as he turned to the crew. "Prepare to drown!"

One of the crewmen swung his blade and cut off a rope by the mast. A net filled with debris and rubble fell from where had hung high up on the mast and smashed into the ground next to the ship. One of the supportive beams holding the ship up was knocked over, and it fell to knock over the second. Like domino bricks, the beams fell around the ship that slowly started to slide down the ramp towards the water.

Jacqueline looked at the old ropes and the debris and hooked arms with Carina and Henry. "Brace yourselves," she said, sounding almost bored as the ship came to an abrupt halt and the crew, with their Captain fell forward. Carina and Henry stumbled, but Jacqueline remained steady and on her feet, holding them but up. "Not done yet," she said when she heard a rope snap.

The ship became mobile again, and the speed made everyone, who'd just gotten back up on their feet, stumble back and trip the other way. The young woman kept both her cousin and the astronomer from tumbling across the deck.

She let them go as the ship slid into the sea and for a brief moment the ship wobbled and then settled nicely in the shallow water. Marty, the shortest crewman, standing just slightly taller than four feet, looked around and then cheered. "She floats!"

The crew scrambled to their stations to get the ship going. She might have floated but it was just barely, and the ripped sailes did little but dangle like torn curtains. Despite the half-wrecked ship and the slightly incompetent crew, they were at least on their way. Leaving Saint Martin behind in a not so impressive speed.

Following her godfather up to the wheel, Jacqueline glanced at the crew, her cousin and their other female passenger before she turned to Jack with a smile. "I've got something for you," she said and picked an envelope out of the inner pocket of her coat. "My mother wanted me to give it to you when I found you."

Jack, who was already in a good mood, perked up even more. "Victoria?" He took the letter and opened it immediately. As he read his smile became wider and wider until his cheeks hurt. His love for the woman was unmeasurable. Ever since he'd left her in Port Royal, his compass had been unusable, since it only ever pointed to wherever Victoria was. Though it was nice to always have a way to find her, it didn't do much but remind him of her. Now, he regretted bartering it away.

The letter was short and sweet. She wondered if he was in good health, if he'd found a way to free his Pearl and if he was planning a visit anytime soon. She wrote and asked if he could keep an eye on her daughter and her nephew. Jack mentally vowed to protect them both, Jacqueline with his life if he had to, Henry not so much but he'd make sure he didn't lose any vital parts or limbs.

"She wants you to visit, you know," Jacqueline murmured when Jack lowered the letter after he'd read it. "She won't stop talking about you. I think I've heard the story about the Locket a hundred times. Probably more."

"Is that so?" Jack said absently with a fond smile on his lips. "She still talks about me?"

Jacqueline nodded. "Of course." She gave her godfather's shoulder a pat. "You're family, uncle Jack. Whether you want it or not." A grin appeared on her lips. "You won't get rid of us now, you know."

"I don't even think I mind all that much," Jack confessed. "Family sounds nice."

"It is, Jack. Sometimes it's the only thing you have." Jacqueline suddenly looked as if she remembered something. "Oh!" She said and went to grab the small bag she'd brought with her. "I've got something for you. It's from Mother," she said and dug her hands into the bag and pulled out a bottle.

Jack let out a hearty laugh when his goddaughter handed him the bottle. "That wonderful woman," he said and held the bottle high. "What would I do without her?"

"She thought you might like it," Jacqueline said. "I personally don't understand why someone would like to drink something that's been sitting in a bottle for two decades but there you go," she said and wrinkled her nose.

Her godfather patted her on the shoulder. "You'll understand once you've tried it," he assured her. "Let's pop her open and celebrate, shall we?"

Jacqueline laughed. "Celebrate what?"

"Anything! I survived another execution! You're here! We're out at sea!" Jack spread his arms like wings. "Come on!" He uncorked the bottle and took a swig. His face scrunched up into a grimace before he seemed to relax and groan in satisfaction. "That's the stuff." He handed the bottle to his goddaughter.

Hesitantly, she sipped on the liquor and frowned. "It's horrible," she said. "I much prefer rum."

"You'll learn," Jack patted her on the top of her head. "For freedom!" He said and rose the bottle to take another swig.

 


	6. It's All Terribly Messy

"You look like your mother, Ms. Norrington," Gibbs said with his hands folded behind his back. "But there's no doubt you're your father's daughter." He nodded to himself and looked out at the sea. "I reckon you're the third generation of the Norrington family I've sailed with."

Jacqueline smiled. "You've sailed with my grandfather?" She asked.

"Indeed I did, many years ago," Gibbs confirmed.

"What was he like? Father never speaks of him." The young woman leaned against the railing and watched the sailor with big and curious eyes. "I don't even know his name," she confessed. "Was he tall? A good sailor? What was the ship called?"

Gibbs scratched the back of his neck. "Well, he was one of the best sailors, naturally. Damned good pirate hunter too."

Jacqueline laughed. "He'd be turning in his grave if he saw what his family's become," she said.

Jack's first mate nodded. "Yes, well, let's just say he wasn't very fond of pirates at all. Lawrence Norrington was his name, a fine Captain. Though I always thought it strange that he brought his son along on such things as pirate hunting."

"Father's never said anything about that," Jacqueline said with a frown. "I had no idea."

"It's not very difficult to understand why he's not told you. I'd imagine he's ashamed."

"Ashamed?"

Gibbs nodded. "Ashamed of himself or his father I don't know, but he's most certainly bitter about it. At least he was when I sailed with him aboard the Dauntless," he explained. "Lawrence Norrington's ship was grand. One of the finest warships I've ever seen. Fortitude, she was called."

Jacqueline listened with such interest that Gibbs blushed. It had been a very long time since anyone had shown even the slightest interest in his tales and he had quite a few to tell. He cleared his throat to continue. "I can't remember the year, but your father wasn't much more than a young boy. He and his father were chasing down pirates. Captain Edward Teague, to be precise."

"That sounds familiar," Jacqueline said.

"Yes," Gibbs nodded. "Edward Teague is Jack's father."

"Really?" Jacqueline's eyes widened. "Wait, grandfather took father with him to hunt pirates? Why?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know for sure. The crew used to believe that he wanted young Mr. Norrington to grow up with a hatred for pirates," he said. "Perhaps Lawrence wanted to make his son think the worst of them, who knows, really?"

Frowning, Jacqueline looked out to the sea. "That's horrible," she mumbled. "I-... Father doesn't talk about it. I'm not even sure Mother knows."

"That's not even the worst part," Gibbs said and leaned closer. "In the midst of the battle against the pirates, young Norrington was knocked overboard into the sea. Captain Teague himself saved the boy, but Lawrence Norrington was anything but grateful.  _I'd rather have seen my boy die than to be saved by a pirate_ , he said! Hearing things like that from a father does things to a boy."

Jacqueline wrapped her arms around herself. "I... I don't know what to say," she said. "My poor father."

Gibbs nodded. "The crew thought the boy ruined, but..." he gave an impressed nod. "He seems to have turned out even better than his father. A Lord with a fine wife and children. Even we out to seas have heard about what he's done while working for the Company. Fine man, I say."

"He's a great man," Jacqueline said. "Mother says he's half pirate, but never when Father's around to hear it. She's right though. Father even took me privateering last summer, that's like pirating right?"

"In a way," Gibbs nodded.

Jacqueline smiled. "But it isn't nearly as exciting as this!" She said. "Coming out here with uncle Jack makes privateering seem so dull! And the stories are better. The most thrilling story they had on Father's ship was about a ship that had gotten lost because the cabinboy had tampered with the Captain's compass." Jacqueline snorted. "Your and Jack's stories are much better!"

"Glad to hear so," Gibbs said with a smile. "It's an honor to sail with you, Ms. Norrington."

"The honor's mine, Mr. Gibbs!" Jacqueline smiled at her godfather when he came wandering with a bottle of run in his hand. "Uncle Jack, won't you tell me about the Santiago?" Jacqueline pleaded with her godfather. "Were you really on it? You have to tell me all about it, please!"

With a chuckle, Jack gave her back a gentle pat. "I'll tell you the whole story if you insist."

Jacqueline nodded eagerly, and the Captain and his first mate both began their tale of their hunt for the Fountain of Youth.

Henry watched them from a distance. The sun had set, and his cousin listened in awe to the stories her godfather told her. Henry wasn't sure they were true, they certainly didn't sound like they could be true. Or could they? After Henry had seen ghostly pirates all those things, his aunt had told him suddenly did seem very possible.

The young man retreated from where the trio talked about Jack's adventure and headed over towards the bow of the ship. Carina sat right by the bowsprit noting down the positions of the start to try and plot their course.

She looked up at Henry when he approached her but paid him little attention and went back to her task while Henry gazed up at the stars with a rather puzzled expression. He couldn't make anything out in the sky and certainly not by the thousands of stars dotting the deep blue heaven.

"Just because you can't see something," Carina mumbled as she sketched down some lines in her book, "doesn't mean it's not there." She looked up at Henry with her bright blue eyes and gave a weak smile. 

Henry looked at her and the sky again. "Like the map?" he asked.

Carina nodded and then looked down at the diary in her hands and sighed. "I have to find it," she mumbled. "It's the only link to who I am. Who my father way," she said and ran her fingers over the worn pages. 

"So we've both spent our lives searching for our fathers," Henry said with a slight smile. "Perhaps you and I are closer than you think?" he suggested.

The young woman blushed and smiled to herself. "Perhaps," she said. "This certainly isn't how I expected the search to go," she admitted. "Out on a tiny ship with a bunch of pirates, and whatever you and Jacqueline call yourselves."

Henry chuckled. "Tell me about it," he said. "I don't know what she sees in him," he said and looked over at his cousin and the Captain. "I've heard the stories, but none of them mentioned Jack being a drunk without a clue."

"She's special, isn't she?" Carina asked. 

"Jackie's different, yes." Henry leaned against the railing. "But I trust her, enough to put my life in her hands."

Carina arched her eyebrows. "Really?" she asked. "If you've such faith in her then... I do feel a little better."

"Glad to hear it," Henry said. he looked at Carina and gave her a smile. "I should let you get back to work, shouldn't I? You must be eager to find that map."

"Yes, very." Carina nodded. 

Henry smiled at her. "I'll come back in a bit and check in, alright?" He said.

Carina looked at him, studying him for a short moment. Then she flashed him a weak smile. "Sure," she said.

-

The next day was rather uneventful. They didn't really get anywhere since their map was still incomplete, and Carina couldn't do much when the stars were hidden away. Instead, she spent her time observing the crew and her companions.

She watched Jacqueline laugh and joke around with the other pirates, exchanging stories and challenging them in silly games like arm-wrestling and dice. The way the young woman handled herself on the ship and the crew made it obvious that she'd grown up at sea among crewmen and the like.

When Henry passed her Carina gave his arm a nudge. "What's her deal? You're cousins, aren't you? I've never seen a woman so... tough," she said and furrowed her eyebrows.

Henry looked over at his cousin. "Her father's a Lord and commands the Navy all around the Caribbean," he explained. "Her mother, on the other hand, traveled with pirates for a while. That's how they got together, I think," he said.

"Pirate match-making?"

"Not really. Jackie's father, James, was engaged to my mother, but my mother left him for my father. James lost everything he had, his ship, crew, and title. He ended up on the same pirate ship as aunt Victoria, by chance." Carina watched with a confused frown and Henry went on to explain. "Then they got separated, and James was presumed dead, and then Jack actually died, and my aunt went back to Port Royal. Then James returned to Port Royal, and they got married. Then Jack came back from the dead and was all fine. But I'm pretty sure Jack's got a thing for aunt Victoria and..." Henry stopped himself. "It's all terribly messy," he said.

"Yeah," Carina said with a nod and turned back to Jacqueline. "So she's half navy, half pirate?"

Henry shrugged. "It's not really that simple, but sure."

Jacqueline seemed to notice them looking and waved happily at them as she arm-wrestled Scrum, and won. She pranced over to Henry and Carina with a smile. "Hey," she said. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Henry said.

Carina rolled her eyes. "He was just telling me about your family," she said. "Your father's a Lord?" She asked. "Or a pirate? I'm a bit confused." She admitted.

"He was appointed Lord over the East India Trading Company right before I was born," Jacqueline explained. "He's a sailor at heart, so he travels a lot. Mother always goes with him, I can't think of a time when they've been apart. Well, except for when Father took us to Saint Martin," she hummed and thought back.

"East India Trading Company? Your father works for the King?" Carina asked.

"Well," Jacqueline pouted. "The papers say he is, but I certainly wouldn't call it that. Neither would anyone that works for him, but he's an honest man who does good work, so none of them complains." She shrugged. "Pirate and Navy are kind blended back home."

Carina crossed her arms over her chest. Her impossibly blue eyes confused but curious. "And the King doesn't notice anything?"

Jacqueline smiled, wide and sly. "England's too far away to really know, and my father's too good of a man to go full pirate. He's loyal to the crown but isn't afraid to bend the rules a bit."

"Sounds risky," Carina mumbled.

Henry nodded. "He is an impressive man," he admitted. "Excuse me," he said and went to speak with the Captain. Argue, most likely.

Jacqueline leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky that had started to fade into a pinkish color. Closer to the horizon it was a warm orange color covered by what looked to be storm clouds forming. However it was far away, and Jacqueline wasn't worried.

She turned her head and glanced at Carina. "So you know about me. How about you tell me about you? How come you were wanted as a witch?"

"I am not a witch," Carina said with a shake of her head. "I'm a woman of science, and the little minds of those townfolks prevented them from seeing that," she snorted. "When a man does something scientific, he's a genius, but if a woman does it, she's a witch. How utterly unfair!"

Jacqueline nodded. "I understand," she said. "You're a little before your time, aren't you?"

Carina looked pleased to have someone agree with her. "To say the least," she chuckled. There was a pause. Then she bent forward, leaning against the railing next to Jacqueline. "I have this diary," she said in a low voice. "It's got all kinds of clues that appears to lead to this trident you're trying to find. The diary was left with me in the orphanage."

"You're an orphan?" Jacqueline asked with a frown.

"Please," Carina sighed. "I really don't want your pity. If that's what you're offering."

"I'm not," Jacqueline said. "I just... can't imagine what a life without family would be like. I don't think I could stand it."

Carina averted her eyes. "I think finding the trident will tell also tell me more about where I come from," she said. "Who I am, and maybe... who I'm supposed to be."

Silence fell over the two women. "Then maybe I was lucky to run into you in that alley," Jacqueline murmured.

"Yes," Carina chuckled. "Thank you for saving me, back then, and again with the... noose thing," she said, pointing at her neck.

"No problem," Jacqueline giggled. "You still haven't explained the witch thing, though. How'd you come to be called that in Saint Martin?" She asked. "Did you brew potions? Or turn anyone into a toad?"

Snorting, Carina gave Jacqueline a gentle shove. "I'm not really a witch," she repeated. "As I said, I know a thing or two about science. A couple of thieves robbed me of my diary, so I tracked them down, but they were both armed with swords. I used two magnets to relieve them of their weapons, and they thought it was witchcraft."

"Magnets attract metal, right?" Jacqueline asked.

"Yes, but only some kinds of metal. It doesn't work on silver or gold, but their iron swords worked just fine," Carina nodded. "I'm surprised you knew. Not many do."

Jacqueline smiled shyly. "Well," she awkwardly pointed at herself, "Lord's daughter. I've read some books," she said. "Can't read maps in the stars like you, though. That's very impressive."

"Thank you," Carina nodded.

"And it looks like you'll soon get to give it another go," Jacqueline nodded at the horizon, where the sun was about to set. "I only know of the one star," she said and looked up at the sky. "That one," she said and pointed to the one star that was visible.

Carina looked. "The polar star."

Jacqueline gave a light chuckle. "Is that what it's called? I just call it the North Star. My Father says you can use it to figure out which way is north."

"He is correct," Carina said. "Useful if you don't have a compass at night."

On the small upper deck, Jack had begun snoring, and Henry had taken the wheel. The rest of the crew seemed to have gone down below deck to sleep. Carina looked to Henry for a short moment then her eyes wandered to the sleeping pirate. She huffed out a breath of air and turned back to the sea.

From what Carina could tell, Jacqueline seemed to idolize the drunken pirate. Even when he humiliated himself and his crew, she seemed to look up to him and defend him. "Why are you so impressed by the Captain, really?" Carina couldn't help but ask. "He's not much more than a drunk with a ship that can barely float and a crew that couldn't figure out which way is north with a compass."

Jacqueline looked at her with a soft smile. "He's my godfather, yeah? I grew up hearing stories about him. My mother has always talked so highly of him, and even my father has a thing or two to say about him that's good," she said. "My parents owe him their lives, and that includes me, I suppose."

"You shouldn't hold your parents' debts," Carina pointed out, and Jacqueline turned her head to look at her. She looked surprised, almost shocked but her expression quickly turned neutral.

"You're right, of course," Jacqueline said, and it was Carina's turn to look surprised. She wasn't very used to hearing that she was right, especially not without having to argue for a while. "But I don't see it as a debt. Jack's... family." The two women fell silent again, and Jacqueline pushed herself odd the railing. "I better give you some space, I know I work best undisturbed," she said. "See you later, okay?"

Carina nodded and watched Jacqueline walk up to the upper deck and seat herself on the floor next to her godfather, taking the bottle from his hands and putting it away. Jacqueline was a woman who cared for her family, no matter who that involved, Carina deducted. Even the crew seemed to be high on Jacqueline's list to care for.

Henry and Jacqueline spoke silently between one another. Jacqueline chuckled at something Henry said, and Jack stirred in his sleep, muttering things under his breath.

For the first time in her life, Carina felt content with her company, even though it wasn't the brightest. It was as if she'd ended up in one strange but caring family of pirates and misfits. She smiled to herself and picked out her diary, looking up at the stars that had started to appear in the sky.

-

Jack woke slowly, rousing from his deep sleep. He peered his eyes open to realize that it was just before dawn. His goddaughter sat next to him, leaned against him with her head on his shoulder. The young woman reminded him of Victoria so much it hurt.

Without waking the sleeping woman, Jack picked Victoria's letter out from within his coat and read it again. His heart ached with want and sorrow. If he could go back in time, he'd go back and tell Victoria he loved her as soon as they met. He hadn't admitted it to himself until much later, but he had fallen in love with her the moment he laid his eyes on her. Perhaps things had turned out different if he'd told her that. Perhaps Jacqueline would have been his daughter. 

Jack looked back at the young woman and pushed some of her dark curls out of her face. "My dear Jackie," he murmured with a loving smile. 

"What was that, Captain?"

Startled, Jack turned his head and looked up at Joshamee Gibbs, who was standing at the helm just a few feet away. "Nothing, Mr. Gibbs," Jack quickly cleared his throat and rose without waking his goddaughter. "Steady as she goes," he said and bent down help his goddaughter up, she was still half asleep when he pulled her up into his arms. "Here we go, dearie. You're too good to be sleeping on the floor like this," Jack murmured. 

Half carrying, half leading the young woman below deck, Jack held her tightly to steady her. Her sea legs were impressive, she walked with such steady steps despite not being fully awake, and when they reached one of the empty hammocks, Jack was able to lift her and tuck her in without tipping her and the hammock over.

"Rest for a few more hours, dear," Jack whispered and caressed her cheek.

"Mm'kay, uncle Jack..." Jacqueline yawned and settled in the hammock. "I love you," she said, and Jack staggered back, steadying himself on the nearest post.

"I-I love you too, Jackie," he said, heart beating so hard it felt as if it was going to fall out of his chest. "Y-You sleep tight," he said but only got an inaudible murmur for an answer.

Stumbling back up to the deck, Jack felt as if he'd just downed a gallon of rum the way his insides buzzed with warmth and delight. Jack hadn't ever heard anyone say that they loved him. Not the way Jacqueline had just said it. Not so very genuine. To Jack, those words meant the world, and then some.

Gibbs looked very concerned when the Captain wobbled and staggered his way up to the helm. "Is everything alright, Captain?" he asked. "Jack?" he asked again when Jack didn't seem to hear.

The Captain turned his head and looked at him. "What?"

"It's a tad too early for drinks, isn't it?" Gibbs chuckled.

"Oh," Jack furrowed his eyebrows, looking confused as he turned towards the sea. "I haven't had any yet," he said. "Don't think I need any right now, anyway," he shook his head and leaned against the railing, smiling at the sunrise. "Not with her around."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates have been slow, I've been having the worst writer's block, and school takes up a lot of time. Sorry! :(


	7. A Very Proficient Swimmer

It was around midday when Carina stood before Jack Sparrow and announced, "Found as promised." She looked rather pleased and very relieved.

The crew exchanged confused glances until Scrum piped up, "So she's saying she's got the map, but she's the only one who can follow it?"

"So should we shoot her?"

"You most certainly should not!" Jacqueline said. "Leave her alone, she will take us to the trident," she assured the crew.

The crewmen groaned. "You've said that many times now! But the stars aren't even out so how is she supposed to read the map?" Pike asked.

"And she forgot the donkey," Scrum pointed out.

"How can we go to a spot where no land exists on any map?"

Carina rolled her eyes and picked a trinket from the pocket of her dress. It looked suspiciously like a pocket watch. "This chronometer keeps the exact time in London," Carina explained to the crew. "I'm using it to make an altitude measurement to determine longitude." The crew looked confused but Jacqueline seemed to understand what she meant. "Only then will we find our exact spot at sea."

Jacqueline nodded. "Genius," she mumbled to herself.

"So you expect to find the trident with a timepiece?"

"Yes." Carina nodded. "I'm not only an astronomer, I'm also a horologist."

The crew snickered, and it was Jacqueline's turn to roll her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest as she turned to the men behind her, who looked very amused. Even her godfather had a grin on his lips.

"No shame in that, dear," Jack said. "I mean, we all have to earn a living, eh?"

Jacqueline slapped her godfather on the arm and glared up at him. Carina blushed and gave a frustrated groan. "No. No," she said and pointed at the crew, warning them not to think of her as what they thought she was. "I'm a  _horologist_."

"So was my mum," Scrum said. Everyone looked at him with their brows arched. "But she didn't crow about it as loud as you."

"Enough of that," Jacqueline swatted her hands at him. "She means she's really good at telling the time," she tried to simplify it for the not so bright pirates.

"And my mum was always looking at her watch," Scrum said.

"I can vouch for that," Marty confirmed.

Jacqueline grunted. "Can you at least try and understand?" She asked the crew. "Nevermind how, you won't get that, but Carina's the only one who can find our 'X', savvy?"

There was a rather long pause while the crewmen pondered for a few moments. Their faces scrunched up in confusion and lips pouting as they thought their hardest. "No," they finally said. "And the donkey?"

"Ship to the aft!" Gibbs suddenly shouted and everyone turned to look.

Henry suddenly looked pale. "Salazar," he said and turned to the Captain. "Jack, the dead will not rest until they get their revenge."

"Dead?" Gibbs squealed. "No, no. The dead were never part of this deal." He shook his head.

The crew looked very frightened but also angry and betrayed. "We should have never followed a luckless pirate and a witch to sea," Bollard snorted. "Right," he said and drew his sword, "kill 'em all."

The crew drew their swords and pointed them at the Captain, and the three youngsters. Jacqueline quickly unsheathed her own weapon the defend herself, her godfather and friends. "One more step and I'll have to fight you," she warned them.

Jack gently ushered her back. "No, nothing like that." He turned to the crew. "Kill me," he started, pointing at himself, "and I'll be dead." The revelation didn't have much of an impact on the crew other than to make them even more confused. "And then the other dead," Jack pointed at the approaching ship, "won't be able to have their revenge... against me." He looked around at each crewman. "Being dead."

"What?" Bollard furrowed his brows.

Henry quickly nodded his head, agreeing with the Captain for the first time since they met. "Which will anger them even more. He's right!" he said

"That's right!" Jack confirmed with a smile.

"Are all pirates this stupid?" Carina asked.

"Most," Jack, Jacqueline, and Gibbs admitted with a sigh each.

Jack held up a hand, ready to try and talk his way out of the trouble. "As Captain," he began, "might I suggest..." there was another pause and Jack's hand slowly went up in surrender. "Mutiny?"

Jacqueline, Henry, and Carina all turned to him looking just as surprised as the rest of the crew. "What?!" All three shouted. "Mutiny?"

With a sheepish grin and an innocent shrug, Jack nodded. "Ay?"

Within a short moment, they were ushered into the ship's only longboat and left behind as the Dying Gull made for the horizon. Henry and Jacqueline manned the oars and rowed the towards the nearby island, yanking the oars as fast as they could to get to land.

"Mutiny," Carina sighed and glared at Jack, who nervously looked at the ship that pursued them. "You had to suggest a mutiny?"

"Carina," Henry said, "the dead are coming."

The young woman looked annoyed and crossed her arm over her chest. It was very obvious that she didn't believe him, which was rather understandable. She hadn't seen and been through what Henry and Jack had been. "Well," she said, "I choose not to believe in supernatural nonsense."

Jack furrowed his brows looking at Carina and then at Henry.

"Do you not see what's behind us?" Jacqueline asked and pointed at the ghostly ship that came closer with each passing second. "Those are very real, according to me!" She shouted, pulling the oar to her chest.

"From what I can tell, it's a bunch of pirates in a ricket ship, much like the one we just left," Carina said and stood up in the small boat, untying her dress and yanking it off.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

Carina turned to him, dressed in nothing but her small clothes; a lacy corset and some frilly underpants. The three other passengers in the boat eyed her appreciatively. "The men on that boat are looking for Jack and Jack is on this boat," Carina said and tossed her dress aside. "So I'm going to swim for it."

Jack gasped and glared at her. "How dare you do exactly what I would do if I were you?" he demanded.

"Carina, stop," Jacqueline sighed when Carina reached to loosen her corset.

"No, no, no. Don't stop," Jack urged her.

"This has gone far enough," Jacqueline said.

"No, it has not," Jack argued. "Don't listen to her and her common sense. Carry on. Carry on." Carina ignored them both and dove into the water, swimming towards the island. "Why?" Jack looked immensely disappointed when he turned to his goddaughter. "She was almost finished."

"I saw her ankles," Henry said with a grin.

The ship that approached were dropping things into the water. It looked like giant carcasses of what had probably been very large sharks. Jacqueline squeaked, "That's not good!" She shook her head.

"Keep rowing, dear," Jack said and waved his hands at her and Henry. "Faster."

Henry glared at him and shook his head, pulling the oar out of the water. "No, that's it!" He said and got up. "I'm going with her," he said and pointed at Carina. She'd gotten quite far and were halfway to the island already. Henry turned to dive off the boat when his cousin stopped him.

"Wait," she frowned. "You can't leave."

"You'd leave us for some horologist in her knickers?" Jack asked.

Henry looked at Jack, "Yes," he said and then looked down at Jacqueline. "Jackie, come on. Let's get out of here while we still can," he told her.

His cousin promptly shook her head, eyes wide with horror. "I-I can't," she said. "I can't leave."

"You can't swim??" Jack stared wide-eyed at his goddaughter.

She turned to him and shook her head. "I'm a very proficient swimmer, thank you very much! I just-... Don't like water..." she admitted sheepishly. "Besides, I'm not leaving you, uncle Jack."

Henry sighed and turned around. He was just about to dive in when the surface seemed to explode and the jaws and teeth of a great shark opened up and threatened to swallow him whole. Jacqueline grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back into the boat. The shark bit down and ripped a chunk of the boat off. "S-S-Shark," Jacqueline whimpered and the boat rocked when the shark bumped into its side.

Already unsteady, Henry wobbled before falling into the water. "Henry!" Jacqueline yelled and reached her hand out to try and grab him. When she couldn't reach him she instead grabbed one of the oars and held it out for her cousin to take hold of. "Grab the oar," she said just as another shark swam by and sank its teeth into the oar, snapping it in half. Jacqueline stared at the broken piece of wood as Jack helped Henry back into the boat. "Can we get out of here now? Pretty please?"

Jack turned around just as the ghosts of the ship following them jumped over the railing, landing on the surface of the water as if it had been sand and ran towards them on top of the water. "How do they do that?" He asked.

"We have to swim for it," Henry said. "I'll distract them." He grabbed Carina's discarded dress and tossed it as far out in the water as he could. The sharks immediately circled it. "Now!" Henry shouted, diving back into the water.

Jacqueline shook her head. "I'm not going in," she said.

Jack looked at her and inspected what they had in the boat. He picked up a rope with a large hook in it and thought for a moment. "They're coming closer," his goddaughter said. "If you have a plan, then now is a great time to put it in motion."

"On it," Jack nodded and watched one of the sharks loose interest in the dress and swim towards Henry. "Oh, chucks," Jack tossed the hook and it got stuck in the shark's jaw as it tried to have a bite out of the young man in the water. Jack pulled the rope and the shark veered away from Henry while the boat was suddenly set in motion, pulled by the shark.

"Ah, got you," Jacqueline grabbed her cousin as they passed him at an alarming speed. "Hold on!" She shouted over the sound of rushing water and her godfather screaming as they were pulled towards the beach.

Without warning the shark took a sharp turn and Jack let go of the rope. The boat crashed into the sandy beach and its passengers were tossed onto the wet sand. "Land!" Jacqueline ran her fingers through the soft ground. "Oh, thank God. Thank you, God," she said as she crawled further away from the water.

"You made it," Carina said, still out of breath from her swim.

"I never doubted Jack," Jacqueline smiled and laid down on her back in the sand. She suddenly remembered that they were chased by more than sharks and flew back up into a sitting position as the dead approached the island, stepping on the water like it was a carpet.

"Oh," Carina said when she saw the men. Some of them were not whole, missing heads or arms or legs. Some were just floating limbs or fractured images of what had once been sailors.

The man who looked the most intact, stepped forward. He looked to have been a Captain, judging from his clothes. He supported himself with his sword as he limped forward towards Jack. "Hi, Jack Sparrow," he said. He had an accent. "Jack the Sparrow."

"You're Spanish?" Jack asked.

"You're ghosts!" Carina yelled.

One of the ghostly crewmen stepped into the sand and started howling in pain before he seemed to disintegrate into dust. "They're unable to step on land," Jacqueline said.

"I knew that, though," Jack assured her. He didn't sound all that sure though.

Carina stood still for a little longer before the turned around and took off running towards the jungle, screaming in fear. "Carina!" Henry shouted and ran after her. Jacqueline remained where she was, drawing her sword and standing by her godfather's side.

"You will soon pay for what you did to me," Captain Salazar hissed at Jack.

Jacqueline pointed her sword at the ghost Captain. "You'll have to go through me before you can get to him," she said. "I'll kill you dead, just you watch," she growled at the ghosts, glaring at them with all her might.

Salazar laughed. "You have a little girl protecting you? Little hija." He tilted his head to the side as he watched her with great interest.

"No," Jack shook his head. "No,  _hija_ ," he said and ushered his goddaughter towards where Henry had disappeared. "And I've really no time to chat. Our map's run away." He pushed Jacqueline before himself as he raced towards the forest line.

"I'll be waiting for you!" Salazar called after him.

"Why would you be waiting for me?" Jack asked and frowned at his goddaughter. "Why would he be waiting for me?"

They entered the forest and soon found Henry, looking for Carina. "You made it," he said when he saw his cousin. "Have you seen Carina?" He asked.

Jacqueline shook her head. "No sign of her," she said just as a scream for help sounded. "That's gotta be her," Jacqueline sheathed her sword and hurried towards the shouting with Jack and Henry right behind her. "Oh, bloody hell," Jacqueline said when they found the young woman they were looking for, trapped in a net hanging almost ten feet up in the air.

"Help me!" Carina demanded.

Henry and Jack stepped forward to aid the trapped woman when a second net trap sprung up around them, hoisting them both up into a net of thick ropes to hang just as helpless as Carina.

Jacqueline sighed. "Unbelievable," she sighed. "Absolutely unbelievable." She shook her head as she drew her sword to cut them down. But before she had time to do so a handful of rough looking men came trudging through the bushes. Jacqueline turned to them and pointed her weapon at them. "Not a step closer, mates," she said. "Or it won't be pretty."

Up in the net, Jack stirred and wrestled his way past the younger Turner to see what was going on. "Ah!" He said when he spotted the man in the front. "Pig Kelly, me old mate!"

"You know him, uncle Jack?" Jacqueline asked without taking her eyes off the men before her.

Pig Kelly was a tall man with a bald head and small angry eyes. "Owes me money, he does," he grunted. "Never cares to pay it back either. Well, you'll pay one way or another."

"What's the debt?" Jacqueline asked.

Kelly glared at her. "More than a young lass can afford," he snarled. "Out here there's more ways to pay a debt though."

Jacqueline shook her head. "What's the debt?" She repeated stubbornly

With a grunt, Kelly crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the young woman with a superior grin. "Five hundred silvers."

Jack winced up in the net. But his goddaughter yawned. "Is that all?" She asked, sounding borderline bored.

"Please let that be all", Jack prayed.

"How about I pay the debt for him. Will you drop those foolish thoughts of debt collecting?" Jacqueline suggested.

Kelly looked like he was considering her offer. "You pay his debt?" He asked. "In full?"

"Right here, right now." Jacqueline nodded. "What say you?"

Pig Kelly looked at the young woman and then at Jack. "I say aye," he said with a nod. "Pay the debt and I'll leave you lot alone."

Looking rather pleased, Jacqueline reached into the pocket of her coat and dug out the pouch of gems. She dug her hand into it and grabbed half the gems, dripping them into the extended hand if Pig Kelly. "That should be five hundred silvers worth, probably more but you won't object, I assume."

Kelly grinned, wide so that his rotten teeth were exposed. "Not at all," he stuffed the jewels into his pocket. "I say, pleasure doing business with ya." He shook Jacqueline's hand then he laughed and looked up at Jack. "See how simple things could be? I can be civilized."

"Yes, very gracious of you," Jack muttered. "Now I'd very much like to be let down."

"Even more my pleasure," Kelly said and grinned. He grew his blade and walked around a nearby tree and cut a rope.

Jack and Henry fell to the ground with a thud. They both groaned when they laid in a pile on the forest floor. Jacqueline sheathed her sword and quickly positioned herself under Carina to catch her when she fell. Carina detangled herself from the net once Jacqueline had put her down. Smoothly, Jacqueline shed her coat and handed it Carina that quickly covered herself up.

"You've proven yourself to be reasonable, Kelly," Jacqueline said, turning to the man. "I've got another jewel with your name on it if you could provide the lady here with some clothes."

Pig Kelly nodded. "I might be able to dig something up."

A few moments later Carina was dressed in a coral colored dress and had an embarrassed smile on her face. "Thanks for that," she mumbled to Jacqueline.

With a cool smile, Jacqueline shrugged her shoulder. "As much as I enjoyed you in your small clothes, I don't particularly like the way they made eyes at you," she murmured, jutting her thumb to her godfather and her cousin. "I quite liked the blue dress but you had to go and toss it in the ocean." She laughed softly and Carina shoved her in the side.

"I got to shore first," she said with a smile. "From what I could tell you were last on land."

"Touche," Jacqueline admitted.

Jack walked over and gave his goddaughter a pat on the back. "Very well done, my dear. Have I told you how great you are?" He asked.

His goddaughter grinned. "You really think so?"

"After this, people will be hearing about the one and only Jacqueline Norrington," Jack said. "The new Queen of the Seven seas perhaps?"

His goddaughter looked to be glowing with happiness.

"Hey, Jack, Jackie..." Henry patted them both on the shoulder. "I hate to ruin the mood and all but we've got company." He pointed at the approaching men coming from the beach.

Followed by a handful of crewmen a man with a great wig and a golden peg leg came limping. "Jack," he said with a terrifying grin. "Long time no see."

Jack sighed but didn't look all that surprised. "You would show up," he mumbled. "You have a talent for timing, Hector."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I haven't updated in ages, and I should be working right now but I'm not.  
> Honestly, I've kind of lost my footing in his story a bit. I know what I wanna write but I just... I have ideas for other fics and I've written on those instead. I am a mess.  
> Don't worry though, I'll update this story whenever I have something new (already working on the next chapter... slowly...).
> 
> Don't kill me, please ^^'


	8. Bottled Up

Hector Barbossa limped towards them, he wore a large hat on his head and a powdered wig that had seen better days. "You look marvelous," Jack said with a grin. "Got quite the spring in your step. Has your leg grown back?"

Jacqueline wasn't sure if Jack was mocking the man or making a friendly joke. She didn't recognize the man, but she knew the name. Hector Barbossa, her aunt Elizabeth had told her about him. He didn't look all that fearsome. The silly wig he wore along with the decorated golden peg leg was leaning more towards ridiculous than authoritative.

"Captain," one of the men behind Barbossa said. "Shouldn't we be getting back to Salazar n' trade his life for our own?"

"Aye that we could..." Barbossa nodded slowly.

Jacqueline glared at them. "You wouldn't dare," she growled. "Everyone seems to have a problem with Jack, around here. Have you a problem with Jack? Then you have a problem with me, too."

Barbossa turned and looked at her, eyes flashing with recognition. "I'll be damned. You can't be anything that the child of Victoria. For a moment I thought we'd all stepped back in time," he murmured and grinned at Jack. "Takes after you. But is she yours or that Lord's?"

"The Lord's," Jack mumbled with a discouraged smile. "My very own goddaughter, though. So hands, fingers and toes off of her," he warned the men standing behind Hector. 

Barbossa rolled his eyes at Jack and turned back to the young woman standing by Jack's side. "Not to worry, lass. At the moment, I don't have any trouble with your godfather. I've come for the Trident of Poseidon," he said. 

The men behind him looked anxious and shifted nervously where they stood. "Y-You're going to double-cross the dead?" They asked. "You did promise."

Ignoring both men, Barbossa stepped towards Jack. "With the Trident, I'll gut the dead that stole my command of the sea," he growled. 

Jack looked uncertain and glanced at his goddaughter before looking back at Hector with his brows furrowed. How come Hector Barbossa always made everything sound so easy? He felt like he had to interject, or interrupt at least. He rose a finger, gaining the attention of those around him, but most importantly, shut Barbossa up. "As much as I love this plan, no vessel can outrun the wretched hull of a ship," he said.

"But there be one, Jack," Barbossa murmured with a wide grin. "The fastest ship I know, the Pearl." He had drawn his sword, it was broken in half but the hilt was decorated with gems, and it looked very ceremonial. "Trapped in that bottle by Blackbeard many winters ago." He rose the sword, showcasing it to everyone around, Blackbeard's sword. "By the power of that blackguard's sovereign blade," he looked at Jack, "I hereby release the Black Pearl to her former glory."

He thrust the sword towards Jack, piercing his coat and Jacqueline yelped in fear for her godfather. She was just about to throw herself onto Barbossa when it appeared that Jack was fine and not stabbed in the chest. 

Jack gasped and picked out the bottle containing his precious Pearl from within his coat. The sword had pierced the bottle and the water inside stirred as if in a tiny storm. The bottle started leaking, and the ship within trembled with magic.

Realizing what was going to happen, Jack hollered and ran towards the sandy beach. Everyone followed, and Jacqueline stayed just a few feet behind him as they jogged down the beach towards some cliffs. "Get ready!" Jack shouted, holding the ship as if it was a small babe. "Get ready for it! It's coming!" Water dripped from the bottle, and Jack hurried towards the cliffs.

"It's coming!" Jack shouted when he tripped, and the bottle jumped out of his hand and shattered against the rocks. The little model of the Black Pearl jumped around on the surface of the rock, growing increasingly bigger until it was the size of one of the model ships Jaqueline's father had in his office.

"It's.. shrunken," Henry said, staring at the ship. "Why doesn't it unshrink?"

"Maybe it's cold, huh?" Jack suggested.

Barbosa snorted and went and picked the ship up. "She needs the sea," he said and hurled the little Pearl into the water of the ocean. She floated for a moment until she sank into the depth. Everyone stared for a few moments and then collectively sighed. 

Jack frowned and put his hand on his chest. "She was a fine ship," he murmured.

Just as it had looked hopeless, the sea suddenly started to bubble and boil as the Black Pearl ascended from the sea, restored to her full size, a mighty ship with black sails. Jack looked ecstatic and practically jumped in place. His ship, the beautiful Pearl, was once again where she belonged; riding the waves of the sea. He put his hand on Jaqueline's shoulder, and she stared at the ship in amazement. Not only was she stunned to have witnessed the ship the size of a thumb grow into a full-sized vessel, but it was also the most beautiful ship she'd ever seen.

They boarded the ship and were off. Jack walked around, admiring his Pearl. He ran his fingers over the railing and sighed dreamily at the sight of her sails. 

Barbossa interrupted Jack's daydreaming by stepping up with his crew behind him. "There be room for only one captain," he said with a grin. 

And so, Jack was seized and dragged to the forecastle deck. Jacqueline jumped one of the men holding her godfather. "Stop!" She growled, knocking one out of the two men out with a kick in the chin. She was quickly overpowered by other crewmen and bound to the foremast along with her godfather. She pouted angrily once they'd restrained her. 

"Bastards!" She snapped after the crewmen as they left.

"It was a very good try," Jack tried to console her. "You almost had them, dear."

 Jacqueline frowned and turned to her godfather with a defeated sigh. "I'm sorry, uncle Jack."

"Don't be sorry, Jackie," Jack smiled over his shoulder at her. "At least we're on the Pearl. There's nowhere I'd rather be right now."

Jacqueline looked around, taking a couple of minutes to take in what she could of the Black Pearl, even if it was only the forecastle and the bow. "She's beautiful," she said. 

"Aye," Jack said with a smile.

They were both silent for a while. "Mother tells the stories of you so well," Jacqueline said after a while. "It's like I was with you. Like I was there, with you on the adventure."

"You were for a while, the most intense part too, mind you," Jack said. "I remember hearing about you like it was yesterday, and I wasn't sure whether I should cry or not," he admitted. "I believe I thought that you were the best and worst thing that had and could ever happen." He looked reminiscent for a few moments. 

Jacqueline looked at him and smiled softly. "I know you love her," she whispered. "It's obvious, really. I've seen the way you look at her letters. 

Jack turned to her with a loving smile. "And she trusts me enough to care for you," he cooed. "That proves everything I need to know, dear."

Jacqueline smiled at him, then silently studied the bow of the ship and sighed at the horizon in the far distance. Jack listened to the familiar sounds of his ship and the unfamiliar sound of her apparent 'captain' arguing with the other woman on the ship.

"This was given to me by my father, who was clearly a man of science," he heard Carina say.

"He was clearly a common thief," Barbossa snarled.

Carnia huffed. "The memory of my father will not be defiled by the tongue of a pirate," she said. Voice as sharp as any blade. Jack heard how Barbossa snorted. "This diary is my birthright," Carina continued, a little less agitated as if she was now distracted. "Left to me on the steps of a children's home... along with a name and nothing else."

It was silent for a few moments. Jack leaned around the mast to listen in. 

"What be you called?" Hector Barbossa asked silently.

Carnia looked at the diary in her hands and then at the pirate before her. "The Brightest star in the north gave me my name," she said.

"That would be Carina," Barbossa said, eyes slowly darkening.

"Carina Smyth," the young woman confirmed. "So you do know your stars."

Barbossa furrowed his brows and took a step back. "I'm a captain," he said. "I know which start to follow home." The young girl glared at him bu the turned away and quickly made his way to the bow, breath heavy and eyes darting across the water.

Jack smiled to himself, and even Jacqueline had overheard the argument. She studied the pirate captain silently, knowing who he was. 

"Smyth is quite an unusual name," Jack said. "Did we not once know someone called Smyth?" He asked.

"Shut your trap," Barbossa growled lowly. 

"What was her name?" Jack mused to himself. "Oh, it's right on the tip of me tongue." His grin grew. "Margaret Smyth," he murmured.

The name clearly irked Barbossa. Face twisted into an angry grimace, and his brows sank into a frown. "Silence," he hissed. "Don't speak of her in that tone while you're running around with your dear love's child. You know what this is like."

Jack fell silent, face neutral and eyes compassionate. "I do," he said with a slow nod. "But I've made peace. As well as I can at the moment. Jackie's under my protection. Perhaps... young Carina should be under yours?"

He didn't get a reply, and Barbossa snorted before stomping away, most likely to think about what had just been said and what had been done.

Jack's face became thoughtful once Barbossa had left and he let his gaze fall on the horizon in the distance. It was getting dark, the stars were slowly appearing, and the last few rays of sunlight bounced off the water as if it was a giant mirror. There was nothing quite like being back on the Pearl. Jack had longed to be back for years, but there was still something missing. There was always something missing. Someone missing.

Jacqueline was silent while she watched her godfather stare into empty space. It was a look Jacqueline recognized well. Her father wore it often, mostly when he was deep in thoughts. Jack and her father were very similar, Jacqueline thought. She considered both men father figures, but neither could ever replace the other. While Jack was adventure, fun, and excitement, her father was warmth, safety, and home.

For a few long moments, Jacqueline thought of home. What had it been like if he had stayed at home? If she'd stayed behind, and not gone with Henry, would she have married a navy officer? Would she have become the lady her mother wanted her to be? Would she have become a sailor like her brothers? Would she have run away? Or stayed at home? Did she Jacqueline miss home?

She turned her head and looked at her godfather again. Jack looked as deep in thought as he'd been a minute ago. Jack was wonderful, but... her father was home. Did she miss home? She asked herself again.

Jacqueline didn't know.

-

Lord James Norrington awoke with a start. He managed to hold back a shout as he jolted up into a sitting position in bed. His head immediately twisted to discover the empty spot next to him. His wife was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, panic washed over him. 

"Victoria?" He called. "Dear?"

James tossed the covers to the side and got out of bed, walking briskly towards the open door. "Victoria, my love?" James sighed in relief when he spotted his wife standing in the next room, her gaze aimed out towards the sea and the horizon. "Victoria," James cooed, walking to stand beside his lover. "What are you doing out here? It's in the middle of the night."

Victoria turned to him with a frown. "Something's wrong, James," she said, voice low and eyes filled with concern. "There's something wrong with Jackie. I can feel it in my gut. I don't know what it is."

James turned pale, his lips pressed together into a tight line. "Victoria," he said, pulling her into an embrace. "Hush."

"You know I can tell whenever something's wrong, and I'm telling you... something has or has yet to happen to our daughter," Victoria said. A sob escaped her. "I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing we can do at the moment," James told her softly. "All we can do is hope that she has found her godfather and that he is doing what he can to keep her safe... God be with her if that's the case." He paused and let out a sigh. "Jacqueline is resilient. You know her. She can take care of herself should she need to."

Victoria nodded. Comforted slightly by her husband's words. "You're right, of course," she mumbled. "Jack will take care of her. He loves Jackie as if she were his own. And she certainly isn't helpless. And she's got Henry with her, that does make me feel a little better," she admitted.

For a moment Victoria thought of Jack. She knew that if Jacqueline really were with him, then he would stop at nothing to keep her safe. Jacqueline was possibly the only one that Jack cared about more than himself. Victoria smiled to herself, thinking of Jack.

James watched her silently. Although he wasn't all that fond of Jack Sparrow, he tolerated the man. Since Jacqueline had been born Jack had come and gone a handful of times. James was aware of his wife's feelings for the pirate, and part of him was very jealous. Another part of him understood that one could not help one's feelings towards someone, and Victoria was his wife. She was faithful, and he knew that he had nothing to worry about.

His daughter, however, had always been... sporadic. In the moment, and going wherever the wind would take her. If James were to lose anyone to Sparrow, it would be his daughter. James wasn't so sure that he'd be able to handle that.

"Let's go back to bed," he cooed into Victoria's ear. "You'll catch a cold, dear."

Victoria nodded and allowed herself to be lead back into the bedroom. "I worry about them, James," she said when they climbed back into bed. "About all my children. Edmund and Connor are all but out the door already."

"They'll be fine, dear," James assured her. "They're good young men. They are eager to stretch their wings."

"I suppose so," Victoria mumbled. "It just... It makes me feel so incredibly old. Our children have grown up. Their adventure starts while ours is over."

James smiled softly at his wife, pushing some of her hair out of her face. "Our adventure is all but over, Victoria. Here's where our next adventure starts, love." He nudged her cheek. "How about that, huh? Are you up for another adventure?"

Victoria smiled. "Always, with you," she said. 

With another warm smile, James leaned forward to kiss his wife. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you," Victoria replied softly. 

They settled in each other's arms, and Victoria soon found her way back to sleep. James, on the other hand, stayed awake. Unable to fall back asleep. His mind was on his daughter and his wife's ominous words. 

If Jacqueline was in trouble, James wanted to do something about it. He felt helpless, knowing that there was nothing to be done. His daughter was out there, most likely in danger given the nature of the quest Henry had taken her on, and the fact that they would seek the help of Jack Sparrow who seemed to attract trouble by default. 

A lump of anxiety formed in James' stomach. Victoria's ominous words about their daughter's safety made his skin crawl. Victoria had always had a way of telling when Jacqueline was in trouble, whatever the trouble might have been. 

Victoria stirred next to him, shifting nervously in her sleep. It was clear that she was worried. Something had to really bother her to disturb her sleep. 

If it wasn't Jacqueline, it was their sons. Edmund and Connor were just days away from leaving Port Royal with the next ship to England. The journey would be long, and it would take weeks or months before they'd return.

James ran his fingers through his wife's hair, combing the locks and kissing her forehead. He was as, if not more, worried about their children but one of them had to stay strong. Victoria had always been the one who was strong. Now, it was time for James to be.

He sighed silently, closing his eyes and whispering a silent prayer for his wife, for his daughter, and for Jack Sparrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 84 years...  
> I lost my footing in the potc fandom but I'm slowly finding my way back.   
> Sorry for the wait.


End file.
